


Let Me Go

by shedreams0flove



Category: Boondock Saints (Movies), Connor MacManus - Fandom, Sean Patrick Flanery - Fandom, The Boondock Saints RPF
Genre: F/M, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-22 00:42:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3708819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shedreams0flove/pseuds/shedreams0flove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brooke Dougherty seemed to have her life figured out. Working as a trauma nurse in Boston's largest hospital gave her a sense of accomplishment and provided her with a comfortable life. But after agreeing to go out for St. Patricks Day with a new physician at work, she unwittingly becomes tangled in a web she never imagined herself to be in - especially one spun so close to her heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The emergency room is an incredible place. Every case is different. Some are stupid, some are heartwarming, some are undeniably funny, and some are heartbreaking. Then there are the cases that stick with you. They’re usually the really violent ones - beatings, car accidents, gun shots, anything with kids. But even with those kinds of cases, with enough time, the people you lose or the ones that leave an impression fade away. They become just another number in the hospital books - a harsh reality that makes the field of medicine and healthcare look cold and disheartened to anyone who doesn’t live it every single day like I do.  
I knew early on what I wanted to do with my life. I can even remember the day I decided without any shadow of a doubt that I would be a nurse. August 23, 1996. I was twelve and sitting in a hospital room, holding my father’s hand as he laid there, lifeless after a three week long coma from a car accident caused by a drunk driver. My older sister Anna hadn’t even bothered to visit or check in, leaving me to deal with losing our only remaining parent on my own with the exception of our Aunt Margaret. But what stays with me most about that day, is my father’s nurse Marcy. She’d been there almost every day my father was in the hospital, stopping in to silently check on me as she attended to him. She was collected and strong, poised and smart, but most of all, she understood what I needed - space. I knew that day that I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be the person that came to check on someone when they didn’t have anyone else. To be strong and composed for someone who couldn’t be themselves. Eighteen years later, I like to think that Marcy would be proud to see what she inspired me to be. Obviously, working in the emergency room is different than checking on little girls who’ve lost their parents, but I made no mistake in choosing to be a nurse because I know I’m doing what I was meant to do - care.  
Leaving the hospital that day with my Aunt Margaret was one of the hardest things in my life to do as it was the devastating end to one part of my life, and the bittersweet beginning of another. I moved in with Margaret over the following days and the reality of life without my parents pressed heavily on my shoulders. After my mother was killed by flu strain caught too late, grieving was hard enough. But now, with my father gone and my sister no where to be seen, I found it hard to get a grip. My sister’s absence clawed at the back of my brain as I wondered how she could ever do something like this to me. Our age difference was significant, sure. But to completely abandon and ignore the only family you have left - especially when she’s a decade younger- after losing not one, but both parents? I was lost and alone, living with an aunt I never particularly cared for to begin with and Anna couldn’t be bothered enough to even stop by. Broken and hurt, I held a deep-seated, bitter grudge so long that eventually, I couldn’t even pretend to care what she’d done to herself.  
Somehow, though, whether it be by the grace of God or whatever you want to call it, time passed and the pain faded into long distant memories and I buried myself in work. The desire to be someone like Marcy gave me renewed inspiration to keep moving forward, to stay focused and to never forget that strength is the key to being who I wanted- who I needed to be. Anna made the occasional appearance every few months, her body frail and malnourished after God-knew how many needles had been threaded into her veins, pumping herself full with whatever new drug she’d replaced the last one with. Eventually, she drifted far enough away that I’d lost any knowledge of her whereabouts, leaving me to focus completely on my degree and the job I’d been offered at Massachusetts General upon graduation.  
Starting at the emergency room was good for me. I’d grown a tougher skin than most new-grads after years of dealing with Anna’s up and down bullshit. Almost every situation rolled off my shoulders like water off of a duck and I soon started to actually feel thankful for how awful Anna had dealt with losing our parents. She unwittingly taught me some of the greatest lessons I could have learned - lessons that no college course could have taught me. And while the job took some getting used to, I fit in quickly with the veteran nurse team and soon became a vital member of the ER staff.  
In the five years after starting in the emergency room I’d seen some incredible things - both good and bad. But absolutely nothing I’d seen could have ever prepared me for the decision I would have to make in a situation I never imagined I would be in. I never, in any span of years, could have imagined falling so hard for someone so quickly as I had for Connor. And no strength of armor could protect me from having to choose between losing the love of my life, or the love of my life along with my best friend and love of hers as well.


	2. Chapter 2

“Call it!” I yelled, pulling a piece of glass from a 26-year-old’s severed carotid artery after I felt his pulse stop beneath my fingertips. The high-pitched heart monitor screamed into the crowded room before I turned it off, replacing the shrill sound with an even louder, more unsettling silence.  
“Time of death. 7:42 pm. Someone find his family. I want to talk to them myself.” Doctor Katherine Madison said quietly, pulling her hands from the gaping laceration in the chest of our patient. She draped a blue hospital cloth over the foot-long shard of glass still lodged his chest before she spoke again.  
“Brooke, do we have any details on the accident?” She asked, turning toward me as she pulled off her gloves.  
“EMT said it was some kind of fight in the warehouse district in South. Guy backed out of a window and fell almost twenty feet. Multiple gunshot wounds to the arms and lower abdomen.” I answered, pulling a blanket over the table. Dr. Madison stood and stared intently at the covered body, her expression worried.  
“You okay?” I asked.  
“Yeah, I’m fine. Get a report from the EMTs for me if you could? I want to see their notes… assuming they took any.” She said, breaking herself from her momentary lapse. Her blue scrubs were spotted with blood and her long dark hair was pulled into a ponytail as she scrubbed her arms and hands in the corner sink. How anyone could look as beautiful as she did covered in blood after a 16-hour shift was beyond me.  
“They actually left it this time. Quinn brought him in.” I said, handing her the folded papers I’d kept in my scrub pocket.  
“Quinn. He’s my favorite. If I weren’t practically married already, I’d marry him.” Dr. Madison joked as we stepped out into the hallway and toward the nurses station.  
“Would that really stop you?” I asked, giving her arm a nudge and smiling.  
“No. Probably not. He’s got such a good butt. ” She snickered, rubbing at the tension in her neck. “Just don’t tell that to Murphy. It’ll be our secret.”  
“It’s safe with me.” I said, taking a seat at my computer as she leaned against the high counter of the nurses station.  
“It’s almost eight, right? I’m ready for this fucking week to be over with.”  
“Five ‘till.” I answered, scribbling some notes onto the deceased patient’s chart and handing it to her. “Just enough time for you to finish this report.” I added, giving her a wry smile. She returned with a look of playful annoyance.  
“Mm. My favorite part of the day.” She sneered, flipping from one page to the next. “You doin’ anything tonight?”  
“Nah, I’ll probably grab a beer and binge on Netflix to be totally honest.” I said, giving a small laugh.  
“Come out with me. It’s St. Patrick’s Day. I’m going out with the boys and you should join us. It’ll be nice not being the only woman at the bar for once.”  
“Shit, it is St. Patrick’s Day, isn’t it.”  
“So you’re coming?” She looked at me, her eyes hopeful and a smile stretching across her face.  
“Mm, I guess so. I’m assuming you mean Murphy and Connor?”  
“Always.”  
“They’re brothers, right?”  
“Mhm, twins actually.”  
“Is that weird for you? That they look the same? I mean, you said you guys all live together, didn't you?”  
“No, they aren’t identical. Although, it does get a little weird when Connor walks around the house naked.” She shook her head and gave a light laugh, tucking the file I’d given her under her arm before reaching over the counter and stealing a sucker.  
“So he lives with you guys and walks around your house naked?”  
“Mm, it’s more like I live with them. But yes. Anyway, if anyone asks, you saw me leave already. Jackson and Mills have been here since six, so to anyone who comes in, I’m gone.” She winked at me and put the sucker in her mouth, turning to run to her office down the hall.  
I shook my head and laughed as she disappeared, her door closing quickly behind her. As I finished charting on one of the other patients and closed out of my computer, a tall man strolled up to the counter in front of me, running his hand through his messy dark blonde hair.  
“Can I help you?” I asked, watching him as he look around the unit. He looked over at me and smiled, the air leaving my chest in a quick heavy breath.  
“Yeah, I’m lookin’ for Dr. Madison.” He said in a beautiful Irish accent, adjusting a cigarette tucked behind his ear.  
“Oh, well she’s gone already. Is there something I can help you with?”  
“Nah, she’s still here. Her car’s still in the parking lot.” He answered, catching my lie and smiling, now leaning against the counter and watching me pack the lunch I never got the chance to eat.  
“Uh, how wou-”  
“Boyfriend’s brother. Connor.” He interrupted, offering me his tattooed hand over the counter and winking at me. I swallowed hard and darted my eyes away from his, trying to will away the flush rising into my cheeks.  
“Oh. She’s in her office. Hang on.” I said, stepping around the counter and pulling my bag over my shoulder. I turned toward her office and started down the hallway, his footsteps following closely behind me.  
We walked down the hallway in silence before I knocked on her office door, opening it just enough to peak my head into her dimmed office. She sat at her desk, a soft lamp glowing in the corner, typing quickly on her slip silver laptop. Her attention broke and she lifted her eyes from her screen as I leaned into the room.  
“Yeah?”  
“Dr. Madison, Connor’s here.” I said, pointing my thumb behind me.  
“Yeah, let him in. And cut the ‘Dr. Madison’ crap. It’s Katy.” She returned and smiled, looking back down at her computer screen.  
I opened the door and stepped in, letting Connor follow me in before turning to leave.  
“Hey, wait. You want to ride with us?”  
“No, I’ve got a change of clothes in the car. I can meet you there. Where are you going?”  
“Yer comin’?” Connor asked, a wicked smile spreading across his face. I blanked and stared at him like a fool, caught off guard at the intense blue of his eyes looking into mine.  
“Yes, she’s coming with us.” Katy answered for me, relief washing over me as my cheeks flushed again while Connor watched me. She turned her attention to me as she stood and closed her laptop, sliding it into her black bag. “You know South Boston at all?”  
“Uh, no. Not really. I live in Bay Village. But what bar?”  
“McGinty’s. Little old Irish pub.” Connor piped up, taking a step toward me. “I can ride with ya if ya want. So you don’t get lost.”  
“Dude.” Katy said, her voice stern and eyes wide as she slapped his arm. I just laughed.  
“It’s fine. But I think I can manage. I’ll see you guys there.” I returned, laughing as I stepped back into the hall.  
“We certainly will.” I heard Connor say as I was barely out of their sight.  
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Katy said, another loud slap echoing from her office quickly followed by Connor’s mocking laugh.  
I blushed again as I walked toward the parking garage, a nervous knot of excitement and self-consciousness twisting in my gut. With a man like Connor around, there was a thousand percent chance I could get myself into some serious trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

McGinty’s was in an area of Boston I’d long tried to avoid. With the exception of a funeral, I’d never spent any real amount of time in South Boston, and until tonight, I hadn’t wanted to change that. Growing up in Charlestown and later moving to Bay Village, I had always heard it was the kind of area that you wouldn’t want to be caught in after dark, much less alone. But nevertheless, I pulled into the cramped parking lot of McGinty’s Irish Pub and took a deep breath as I reluctantly pushed opened my car door. Katy and Connor stood at the front door as they waited for me, thick puffs of smoke pouring from Connor’s nostrils.  
“Never been down here before?” Connor asked, flicking his cigarette before letting it hang between his lips.  
“Once. For a funeral like fifteen years ago. Otherwise, no.” I said, looking around, my expression hesitant. A man in a black pea coat matching Connor’s walked up to our small group, his arm falling to the small of Katy’s back. He lifted a lighter and lit the cigarette between his lips, taking a long drag and kissing her cheek.  
“I thought you were trying to quit?” Katy asked, pulling away from him and swatting at the smoke coming from between his lips.  
“Chill, would ya?” He said, nipping at her neck. “First one in over a week. And it’s St. Patty’s Day. Gimme one holiday, alright?” His arm wrapped around her waist and she melted into his arms before pulling away, turning him to face me. Connor shook his head at them and gave a light laugh, tossing the butt of his cigarette into a puddle a few feet away.  
“Brooke, this is Murphy.” She said, nudging his arm. “Murph, this is Brooke. She’s a good friend of mine from work.” Katy smiled at him as he stepped toward me, offering his tattooed hand to me.  
“Good to finally meet ya.” He said as I shook his hand.  
“Likewise. She talks about you all the time.”  
“All terrible things, I’m sure.”  
“Awful.” I said, playfully. He gave a laugh and returned to Katy, her arms wrapping around his waist.  
“Enough with the small talk, let’s get inside, it’s fuckin’ cold out here.” Connor said, motioning us toward the heavy wood doors and pulling them open. His hand fell to the small of my back as he guided me inside and into the much appreciated warmth.  
The Irish pub was old and welcoming, with old black stools worn from innumerable wild nights and a long antique wood bar glimmering and wet from the evening's business. Boston's blue-collar workforce crowded around the bar, most of whom already four or five pints deep, laughing and hollering loudly at the young brunette bartender making her rounds. Connor pointed to a booth in corner behind the pool tables and helped me out of my coat.  
"I'll grab a round, you grab that booth." He said, hanging my coat on a wall hook and turning toward the bar.  
Katy and Murphy followed close behind, sliding in to my left as we took the corner booth and waited for Connor to return. Tray full of beer and shots in hand, Connor took his place next to me as Murphy and I took our drinks. Katy stood and turned toward the bar and Murphy took her hand, stopping her midstep.  
"Where're ya goin?" He asked, looking up at her.  
"Not feelin' the whiskey tonight. I need somethin' that'll kick me in the teeth after the week I've had." She explained, Murphy's hand still holding hers. "Who knows. I might even get reckless and take a stranger home." She teased, running her fingers through his hair.  
"God, I hope so." He said as she walked away. I smiled at them and turned my attention to the drinks in front of me, taking a deep breath and a long drink of beer. I tossed back my shot of whiskey and took another long drink, Connor's eyes wide as the shot glass hit the table with a loud clank.  
"Wow." He said, taking his own shot in a quick swallow and chasing it with beer.  
"Shit, what's the rush?" Murphy asked, following our suit.  
"Just tryin' to keep up with this one." Connor said, smiling and pointing his thumb at me while I took another long drink.  
"If you'd had the week we did, you'd be four deep already." I said as Katy slid back in next to Murphy, his arm draping over her shoulder.  
"You guys have no idea." She agreed, taking a sip of her drink from a thin, bright red straw.  
"Today, particularly. That last one was... interesting to say the least." I added, watching Katy as she looked over at Connor and then to Murphy.  
"What was it? Someone come in with a pill bottle up their ass again?" Murphy asked, his hand falling to her lap.  
"You told them about that?" I asked.  
"How could I not?" She laughed. "No, this one was particularly gory. Total mess. Glass shards and bullet holes basically." She said, looking over at him again. Her expression shifted slightly as she read the look on his face, but quickly changed again as she returned to her drink.  
Several hours flew by as the four of us drank, ignoring the number of empty glasses we were leaving as the bartender stopped by time after time, ensuring we were never without a full glass for longer than a few moments. My warm buzz morphed into the comfortably numb, carefree attitude that often leads to poor decisions, my usual coyness falling by the wayside as I flirted shamelessly with the attractive man sitting next to me.  
"How about I show you how to lose a game 'a pool?" Connor whispered in my ear, his breath hot on my neck. My body instantly reacted to his closeness, sending hot excited waves across my skin. I smiled and nodded as he slid out of the booth and pulled me with him, stumbling over my own feet.  
"I gotta warn you though I'm pretty fuckin' good at pool." I said, my words running together. "Had my fair share 'a nights in bars in college."  
"It'll be easy for you to kick his ass anyway, he fucking sucks at it." Katy said from our booth, raising her glass. I winked and turned back around as Connor set up the game, watching me carefully.  
"Nobody fuckin' asked you, Doc.” Connor said, a wicked smile creeping across his face.  
"Don't fuckin' talk to her like that." Murphy said into his half killed glass, a smoldering cigarette dangling front between his fingers as he pointed at his brother. Connor stood straight and swayed, stumbling slightly backward.  
"Chill, brother, I was fuckin' kidding." He laughed, waving off his brother and turning back toward me. "Ladies break." He said, offering his pool stick to me.  
It took us over an hour to play our game, both of us stumbling and knocking into one another as we tried without much success to get our own balls into the pockets. But when I finally hit my stride and won the game, Connor backed away from the table, agitated.  
“I fucking told you I was good at it.” I said, trying my hardest to stop myself from laughing.  
“Yeah, well I let you win.”  
“Bullshit.” I smiled, leaning against the pool table. Connor stepped back up to the table, leaning in close and giving me a crooked smile.  
“Think what ya want.” His voice was barely louder than a whisper. My knees nearly gave as he watched me, his eyes bright and blue and nearly turning me into a melted pool of wanton need. I pulled myself together and looked over  
“Murphy, where’s Katy?” I asked, straightening up and stepping toward our booth. Murphy looked up from the phone in his hands and pointed his thumb to a dark doorway to my left.  
“Bathroom.”  
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I ha-” I paused and tried to balance myself. “I have some business to attend to.” I said, walking toward the doorway.  
I stumbled into the restroom and cringed, the sound of Katy throwing up filling the small room from behind one of the stall doors.  
“You okay in there? Do you need me?” I asked, trying to sober myself up enough to be useful. “No, I’m fine. I think that’s all I got.” The toilet flushed and I listened as she composed herself, patiently watching as she emerged from the stall, wiping her mouth with a wad of toilet paper.  
“Sure?”  
“Yeah, I’m good now.” She said, letting me into the stall.  
“How many did you even have? Lightweight.” I joked, the stall walls swirling around me.  
“Trust me, I’m no lightweight.” She returned as I let myself out of the stall.  
“Apparently not.”  
“I can drink those two under the table if I’m so inclined. But no, I’m not really sure what’s going on. I feel alright, but I get nauseated so easily. Truth be told, I wouldn’t be so surprised if I were pregnant.”  
“Are you pregnant?" I asked loudly just before she covered my mouth  
"Not to my knowledge... But, on to more important matters..." She said, shaking away the subject, visibly switching gears and leaning against the small counter. “Connor.”  
I stared at her blankly, the room slowly twisting around me. I could feel my cheeks grow hot at just the thought of him, but fought the overwhelming instinct to smile as she carefully read my reaction.  
“Yeah?” “Well?”  
“Well what?”  
“Don’t play this fucking game with me.” She said, smiling.  
I leaned my hip against the counter facing her and crossing my arms. She stood relaxed and waited patiently for me to speak, still reading me.  
“Uh, well… he’s pretty nice. And good looking.” I confessed, trying to stay as detached as possible.  
“Well, he couldn’t shut up about you on the way here.”  
“What? Why?” I asked as calmly as I could while I screamed with excitement inside.  
“I don’t mean to get weird or anything, but fuck. Look at yourself.”  
“Stop.” I said, blushing.  
“Seriously. He’s in to you.” All I could do was smile at her. The idea of Connor’s arms wrapped around me crawled around my head, making me blush even harder.  
“Look. I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t do anything here. All I’m saying is this: he’s in to you. And what Connor wants, Connor does everything he can to get.” She smiled as she washed her hands and turned to leave, winking at me as she walked out the door.  
I stood in front of the dingy mirror and ran my hands through my hair, checking my mascara and straightening my shirt before the door swung open. I jumped at the sudden burst of sound, quickly relieved to see who it was who had joined me.


	4. Chapter 4

“Can you read? The door says “Women”.” I said, leaning against the counter and watching Connor step into the small space.   
“Apparently not.” He said as he stopped in front of me, our chests touching. I looked up at him and he let his hand fall to my hip, pulling me closer to him. I ran my fingers through his hair and down along the side of his neck, pulling his lips to mine. Connor quickly kissed back, our tongues moving in luscious, desperate waves together. He wrapped his hands around the back of my thighs and lifted me to sit on the counter, moving in close to let me wrap my legs around him.   
We kissed for a long time, his tongue and lips were sweet and delicious against mine. His lips broke away and he moved to kiss along my jaw, settling in the warm curve of my neck. I could feel him grow hard between my legs and his chest heave against my own while his hands moved along my back. I took the bottom of his dark gray sweater and pulled it up, reaching for his belt. Connor pulled away from me, his blue eyes bright and focused on mine.   
“I think we should go.” He said softly, smiling at me. I gave a small laugh as he stepped back from the counter, letting me down onto my feet. “Don’t you think we should go?”   
I winked at him and turned toward the door, feeling his eyes on me as I walked over and turned the lock. I faced him again and bit my lip, smiling as I stepped in front of him and knelt down. Connor’s eyes never left mine as I pulled at the buckle of his belt and unzipped his jeans, taking my time in admiring the growing bulge in front of me. I ran my tongue slowly along the soft fabric covering him and felt his thighs grow rigid beneath my fingertips, his hand falling to run his fingers through my hair. I pulled at the elastic band and he sprang free of his boxers, wrapping my hand around his girth. Connor sucked in a breath and took a handful of my hair, tugging it lightly while I kissed at the soft patch of skin above his base.   
His skin was like velvet between my lips as I moved along him, my tongue moving in waves and earning gratifying moans from deep in Connor’s throat. I let my hand wrap around the back of his thigh while the other stroked along with my lips, moaning into him as I moved. Connor’s breath came in short, desperate gasps and he grew harder, moving his hips to push himself deep into the back of my throat. I gagged on him and let the back of my throat tease his head before I pulled away, taking a second to take a breath and smile up at him before wrapping my lips around him again.   
“Shit, girl.” He said, his voice a low growl. “Fuck, I’m gonna come.” He let out another long breath and tightened his grip at the back of my head.   
“Come for me, Connor. I wanna taste it.” I purred, looking up at him. A deep moan escaped his throat and his body tensed in front of me, the taste of his release filling my mouth. He watched as I lapped up every drop, rivulets of come falling slowly from the corners of my lips and he bent down to kiss my cheek.   
“You gonna swallow it for me?” He whispered, bending over and kissing behind my ear.   
“Mmhmm.” He looked over at me as I swallowed hard and licked my lips, wiping at them with one hand while still holding him in the other.   
“Fuck.” He husked, pressing his lips hard into my neck. I pulled the elastic of his boxers back up before standing and meeting my lips with his. He ran his hands along my ribs, sending chills down my spine, taking my legs in his hands and lifting me back onto the counter.   
Moving quickly, Connor fumbled with the button of my jeans, kissing my chest between the buttons of my blouse. I leaned back and he tugged my jeans down to my ankles and ran his hands along the smooth skin of my thighs, my skin hot with anticipation. He pulled away from my chest and looked up at me, pulling my hips to the edge of the counter and spreading my legs. My breath caught as Connor pressed his lips to just next to my tender folds, my core aching to feel him move inside of me. Moving the thin lace of my panties to one side, his fingers quickly moved between my slick lips while his tongue moved in tight circles around my delicate bud. Need pulled at my every muscle as Connor’s blissful movements teased me and I reached down to run my fingers through his hair.   
“Shit, yes.” I moaned as Connor pressed his fingers inside of me. He moved them slowly at first, building his speed as he sucked and moved around my clit. My chest heaved and I gasped for my breath, the unforgiving knots of ecstasy twisting deep in my core.   
“Ohhhh fuck, Connor!” I cried out, his fingers still moving in fast, slick movements inside of me. I sucked in another harsh breath and wriggled underneath him as the fiery claws of euphoria tore through me. I trembled and reached in desperation at Connor’s arm, tugging him up to meet my lips with his to taste myself. He kissed me hard, pushing his tongue between my lips, rocking his jaw against mine while he pulled me straight up against him. His hands fell between us and he pulled his tip to tease my entrance, pushing himself all the way in as I breathed heavily into his shoulder.   
But as Connor started to rock his hips against mine, a series of hard raps pounded on the door, echoing through the small space. We both froze and looked at one another before Katy’s muffled voice shouted from the other side of the door.   
“You alright in there?”  
“Yeah, I’m good.” I laid my forehead on Connor’s shoulder as he laughed silently in front of me. I could feel him twitch inside before he slowly started to move again.   
“You sure? You’ve been in there a while.” I could tell she knew I wasn’t alone, the sound of her voice teasing the way an adult who knows you’ve eaten candy before dinner.   
“Yeah, I’m sure.”   
“Yeah, well, unlock the damn door, I need to pee.”   
Connor kissed at my neck and pulled out of me, tucking himself quickly into his jeans while I pulled myself together. Katy knocked again and Connor stood to one side of the door, running his hand through his hair and winking at me. I smiled and unlocked the door, holding my breath for what Katy’s reaction would be. She stepped inside and paused, a devious smile pulling across her face.   
“Well.” She said, raising an eyebrow at me and looking over at Connor. He just crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the wall. I tried not to react, instead trying to busy myself with fixing the smudge of eyeliner under my eye.   
“Katy, I’m gonna head home, I think.” I said, breaking the silence before making myself yawn.  
“What? Why?”   
“Because I’ve been up since 4 this morning.” I whined.   
“Oh whatever.”  
“Seriously, I’m fuckin’ exhausted.”   
Katy watched me carefully for moment before she turned to Connor and waited for him to speak first.   
“What?” Connor asked, trying to look as innocent as possible. Katy just crossed her arms and continued to wait.   
“Say what you want.” Connor said, his voice low.   
“I got nothin’.” She returned, still smiling, her expression all too knowing what we were guilty of. “But I’ll pretend to be surprised when we walk in on you two in the living room.”   
“What?” I asked, looking over at Connor, lost at the context.   
“Nothin’. I’ll explain later.” He returned. I dropped the subject and gave in to another long, drawn out yawn.   
“Really, though. Katy, I need sleep. I really do think I need to get home.”   
“Somehow, I doubt you’ll be getting much of that tonight.” She joked.   
“Shut the fuck up.” I said laughing, rolling my eyes and opening the door.   
I gave Connor another look as Katy said her goodbye and I walked out, blushing to myself. I gave Murphy a final goodbye and took my things from our booth, leaving the warm, smokey bar and meeting the cold Boston night air. I pulled my coat tight around myself and walked toward my car, the earth still tilting on it's axis. I fumbled with my keys and got in, wondering to myself if Connor would be out any time soon.   
I pressed my fingers to my lips and smiled to myself, blushing like a thirteen year old girl when a shadowed figure appeared suddenly next to my door. I flinched backward before I realized Connor had followed me outside. I opened my door and gave a weak smile as the day’s exhaustion I’d used as an excuse started to weigh on my shoulders.   
"You weren't just gonna leave me in there, were ya?" He teased, resting his arms on top of my car and leaning down toward me.   
"Maybe."   
He smirked and I pulled him close, kissing him before he pulled away.   
"Why don't I drive, huh?" He said, his voice rugged and deep in my ear.   
"You afraid I'm gonna kill you?" I asked, pulling myself clumsily out of my car and getting in the passenger side.   
"Yeah. I wanna make sure I get to finish what I fuckin' started." He returned after we were both in our seats.   
I bit my lip and he pulled the car out of the parking lot, taking us back north while the excitement of what we would soon do nearly tore me to shreds.


	5. Chapter 5

It took me no more than a few seconds to get out of the car and fumble with my keys before Connor's arms were wrapped around my waist from behind and his hands were impatiently pulling and tugging at my clothes.   
"Jesus Christ, Connor." I breathed, struggling to keep myself still enough to get us inside. I heard the heavy lock click out of place and we were inside a second later, Connor pinning me against the wall, holding my wrists high above my head while he nipped and kissed along my neck, tearing off our coats and tossing them to the floor. I could feel him hard against my hip as he pressed against me, my body arching into my overwhelming need.   
"Holy fuck!" He shouted, jumping back and turning his attention to the massive Great Dane nudging at his hip. He let out a laugh and looked over at me expectantly.  
"What? You didn't give me a chance to warn you before you rushed us in here." I said blankly, letting out a short laugh. "This is Gwendolyn. But unless she's in trouble, she goes by Gwen."   
"She's a fuckin' horse." He laughed, patting hard along her ribs as she lapped at his other hand.   
"Outside, babes. Let's go." I said, pointing toward the kitchen and following Gwen as she bounded for the back door. Connor followed closely behind and leaned against the kitchen counter, waiting as I stood in front of the back door. He watched me carefully, running his hands along the smooth granite of the counter top. Still facing the back door, Connor walked over to me and pressed his lips into the curve of my neck, my skin instantly growing hot and flushed as one his hands traced along my ribs to rest on my hip while the other took a firm handful of my breast. He teased my nipple through the thin fabric of my blouse and I let out a harsh breath. Connor's other hand moved slowly from my hip and into my jeans, his fingers slipping between the slick folds between my legs.   
"Shit. Connor. Wait." I breathed, resenting Gwen for her need to eat superseding my need to have Connor moving inside of me.   
"I... I need to let... Shit, I need to let her inside." I struggled to say between excited breaths, absently reaching for the door handle. Connor stepped back and Gwen raced inside, meeting him again while I filled her bowl.   
The second I was finished, I grabbed Connor's arm and pulled him toward me, kissing him hard and leaning into him again. His hands fell to my hips again and I broke away from him, tucking my fingers under his belt and backing out of the kitchen. In front of the stairs, I turned around and took his wrist, leading him up the stairs before he stopped me half way and turned me around. He looked at me and wrapped his arms behind to pick me up, letting me hook my ankles around his back. He traced his lips down to the flushed skin between my breasts, my breath catching as I tried to direct him toward my bedroom.   
The bedroom door burst open in front of us and Connor eased me down onto my bed, his lips working their way back up to the tender curve of my neck, fire igniting between my legs. I let out a heavy breath as he pulled up the hem of my blouse, his fingertips tickling along the soft skin of my stomach and chest.   
"Connor, wait." I breathed. He looked up at me, his eyes glowing and focused. "Close the door. Unless you want an active audience." I said, pointing at Gwen standing in the doorway. He backed away from me and off of the bed to close the door, pulling his shirt off and tossing it into a pile on the floor. He lowered himself to lean over me, once again pulling at the hem of my shirt before I took it from him and tossed it to the floor. His lips came to mine once again, pressing into a hot, deep kiss while I let my hands fall to his jeans, fumbling desperately with the buckle of his belt. His lips quickly pulled from mine as he kicked his jeans off and took my hips in his hands. My pants were off a second later, landing in a pile on top of his on the floor.   
He kissed at the skin inside my thighs and let his fingertips pull at the elastic of my panties, his lips working their way to kiss at the hot, delicate folds underneath the lace of my panties. I lifted my hips as he pulled them down, his tongue finding the slick lips of my entrance and teasing them while his fingers moved in generous circles around my clit. Hot, insatiable need pulled at every muscle and coursed through every vein, wild and untamed at Connor’s total mercy. I pulled off my bra and tugged hard on my nipple at the feel of Connor’s tongue, my brain quickly becoming more and more useless as waves of unforgiving bliss swept over me.   
Connor pulled away and watched me for a moment, slipping his boxers off to land on the floor and returning to me, his lips soft and warm against mine. I pulled myself up onto my knees and turned him onto his back, leaning over to wrap my lips around his girth as he let out a long breath. His hand took a generous squeeze of my ass and I moaned into him, his fingers moving to run along my wet, aching lips. He pushed his fingers inside of me and I moved faster, only pausing to let my gag reflex send him over the edge.   
"Fuck this. Get up." Connor directed, tugging on my arm and pulling me up to straddle him. He leaned up toward me and buried his face between my breasts, kissing and licking his way to one of my nipples and pressing his tip to my entrance. I lifted his face to mine and met his lips, lowering my hips to let him fill me completely. Connor wrapped his arms around me and laid back, bringing his knees up and moving in smooth, heavenly movements beneath me. His skin was electrifying against mine and I tossed my hair back over one shoulder, arching my back into him as he picked up his speed. Burning knots twisted deep in my core as I edged closer to climax and I pressed my lips into Connor's neck, breathing heavy words of need into his skin.   
Connor pulled himself from inside of me slowly and turned me over onto my knees, leaning over me from behind. He took my hips and pulled me close, pressing his lips to the back of my neck as he guided himself into me again. I pushed my hips into him as he moved at a delicious pace against me, leaning over and pressing his chest into my back. He reached his hand to take my breast, teasing my nipple with his finger and I bit hard on my lip, desperate words catching in my throat. A rush of heat swept over my skin as he hit the tender spot of nerves buried deep inside of me and I tightened myself around him. I arched my back into the euphoric bliss he was working me into, closing my eyes and turning to kiss him. Gwen cried from outside of the door as a moan escaped my throat and Connor began to thrust faster.  
“Think she’s a little jealous of the attention, huh?” He said, his words breathy as he let out a laugh.   
“Fuck yes.” I breathed, reaching behind my shoulder to run my fingers through his hair. “Come on, Connor. Make me fucking come. I’m so close.”   
Connor pressed his lips to the back of my neck and worked his way up, the feel of his breath sending waves of goosebumps across my skin. He leaned in closer and I turned to face him, our lips meeting in fast, hungry movements against one another. Shockwaves crashed over me as he pumped harder behind me, each thrust sending me deeper into a thoughtless, senseless stupor that choked the air from my lungs.  
“Oh. My. Fucking. God. Connor.” I called out between gasping breaths, Connor’s hips bucking desperately behind me.   
“Jesus. FUCK.” He moaned from between his teeth, his movements becoming slow and easy as we rode out the last waves of our ecstasy. Connor leaned over me again and kissed my cheek, running his hands slowly along my ribs while he pulled himself from my soaking, satisfied core.   
He collapsed into the sheets next to me and brought me to him, allowing me to curl into him and rest my head on his shoulder. We caught our breath together and he pressed a soft kiss on the top of my head, his arm wrapping around my shoulder.   
“What was Katy talking about earlier?” I asked, quietly. Connor smiled at Katy’s obvious joke that I was lost on and gave a small laugh.   
“When Katy and Murph first started seein’ each other - and I mean within the first couple a’ days - I walked in on ‘em bangin’ on Murph and I’s livin’ room couch.” He explained. I felt his muscles flex beneath my fingertips as he laughed again. “Took us all by surprise.”  
“Seriously?” I laughed. “You didn’t hear them before you walked in or anything?”  
“Nah. Guessin’ they’d just started. I don’t fuckin’ know. Saw her tits though, so that was nice.” He joked. I gave him a pinch in his side and he snickered, pulling me even closer. “Funny thing is, that wasn’t the last time. The two never fuckin’ learn.”   
“Sounds like you need to teach ‘em a lesson. Show ‘em how it’s done.” I purred into his ear, running my finger delicately across his skin. He rolled onto his side and took my breast in his hand before sliding it down between my legs.   
“Think you could help me with that?”   
“I suppose I could give it my best shot.”   
“Good.” He said, a seductive smile spreading across his face, his fingers moving in luscious circles between my legs.   
I turned to look up at him and kissed him, savoring the sweet taste of his lips against mine and the feel of his fingertips pressing into me. He traced his fingers along my skin, goosebumps moving in swift waves over me once again. We laid there for a long time, the light from the street casting the room in a soft, blue hue as our breathing slowed and we drifted to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The following morning I woke up to Connor’s heavy arm draped over my waist and his face buried into the back of my neck. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually slept through the night with a man in my bed, but for what it was, I loved the feeling. I laid there quietly for a long time as Connor slept, his soft breathing barely catching in the back of his throat. I carefully worked myself free from his arms and pulled on some clothes while Connor slept tangled between the sheets. Opening the door, I was nearly tripped at the dog who had chosen to keep guard outside of my door over night.   
Gwen wagged her tail hard against the floor and I bent down to run my hand along her lean body, kissing the top of her head. A deep, excited groan bellowed up from her belly and she ran downstairs, waiting for me at the door before I let her out. I busied myself with making a pot of coffee and watched her outside, losing any sense of focus as I spaced into the gray overcast sky. I jumped at the high pitched ding of my phone’s text tone and jerked my head over to see it on the counter across the room.   
“Jesus.” I said, laughing and scrolling through the text messages I’d gotten throughout the night. 

KATY: Please tell me you got home alright. He drives like a fucking criminal.   
KATY: Sidenote. Murph (who’s completely lit by the way) asked about Connor coming home. Told him their friend Clark called him for booty call and HE WASN’T SURPRISED. Almost wrecked the car I laughed so hard.   
KATY: Anyway.   
KATY: Hopefully you’re just passed out and not dead in a ditch.  
KATY: … or fucking his brains out. Whatever. ;) Text when you’re up.  
The woman was something else. I laughed out loud to myself, took a long drink of coffee and met my impatient dog-child back at the door.   
“Alright, girlfriend. I get it.” I said, opening the door and moving out of the way. I looked up from Gwen to see Connor leaning on the doorway in his boxers and rubbing at his eyes.   
“Good morning.” I said easily, a smile stretching across my cheeks as I stood.   
“Mornin’.” His voice was deep and sounded like gravel. He winced into the light coming through the door and I gave a light laugh.   
“Coffee?” I offered, pulling the curtain closed.   
“You got a gallon of it?” He groaned, slumping into a barstool and rubbing at his temple.   
“No, but maybe this’ll help.” I said, grabbing a bottle of Tylenol and setting it in front of him. I kissed at his temple and pressed into the muscles of his shoulders, kneading into him before running my fingers along his scalp. He leaned his head back and met his lips with mine, breaking away to nip at my neck.   
“Thank you.” He said quietly into my ear.   
“Hungry?” I offered, pulling away from him. His hands ran down my sides to rest at the back of my thighs.   
“Starvin’.”  
I walked away and poured him some coffee, feeling his eyes follow and soak in every move I made. Blushing at the feel of him watching me, I busied myself with finding something to make for breakfast. With my back turned, I stood at the stove and listened as he yawned and padded up to stand behind me, pressing his lips into the back of my neck while his hands wrapped around to cup and knead my breasts from outside of my thin t-shirt. Connor’s touch was electrifying and my skin felt like he’d lit it on fire, one hand running down into the elastic band of my shorts and the other teasing my nipple. He pressed his hips against me and I could feel him grow hard while his fingers moved in generous circles between my legs, my breathing growing heavy and labored.   
Connor’s hand left my chest and he pulled at the back of my shorts, letting them fall to my ankles before he did the same with his own. I pulled my shirt off and turned my head to kiss him, bent over the counter and lifted my leg, arching my back into the counter to welcome all of him inside of me. Connor leaned in close and slowly started to move, his hands pulling my hips closer to him while his hot breath sent goosebumps across my skin.   
“Fuck, yer so fuckin’ tight.” He husked into my ear, his teeth nibbling gently.   
“Mmhmm.” I moaned, biting my lip again. I could hear Gwen come bounding down the hallway and swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice as level as possible. I turned to look through the doorway to see her standing there watching us, her tail wagging and her head cocked to one side. I grabbed Connor’s arm and squeezed, straining to as he pushed deeper.   
“Gwen,” I managed to muster between breaths. “Go lie down.”   
Connor laughed and turned to look at her as she slumped her head down and slowly turned and disappeared.   
“What, you don’t like an audience, huh?” He breathed into my ear as he stopped and pulled himself out of me. I turned to face him and hopped up on the counter, taking all of him in my hands and wrapping my legs around his waist.   
“It’s not so much the audience I mind. But like I said last night, she’s tried to participate before. I’m not so sure you want her licking all over your ass. I’ve seen her eat her own shit.” I leaned forward and squeezed his ass, kissing him while he teased the trembling skin of my thighs with his throbbing head. “Now. Fuck me.” I added, wrapping my hand around the back of his neck and pulling him closer. A sudden burst of music struck us both by surprise, both of our heads snapping to see his phone laying on the counter, the screen bright and waiting.  
“After you answer that.” I said, hoping it wasn’t something that would take him away from me. Connor looked up at me, his expression surprised.   
“You want me to answer that now? We’re a little fuckin’ busy.” He said, kissing my cheek.   
“It’s a little distracting. I like Flogging Molly, but it’s not really something I want to be fucked to.” I laughed, kissing him back before he stepped away to pick up his phone.   
“Shit,” He said under his breath as he slid his thumb across the screen and brought it to his ear. “What?”   
Connor walked back toward me and I wrapped my hand around his hardened girth, stroking him slowly as he swayed in front of me. Still holding the phone to his ear he looked into my eyes and bit his lip before pressing a kiss into my neck. He snapped his head up and his brow furrowed, his expression becoming grave in a split second.   
“What the fuck hap-?” He said, his voice growing louder with every syllable. “So you went down there anyway?” He paused again, resting his free hand on his bare hip as he took as step back and turned. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ. Y’know, there’s a reason why Murph and I call the fuckin’ shots and it’s because we don’t wanna risk fuck ups like this. Who told you to go down there?”   
I watched him grow more and more frustrated, feeling myself become hotter and hotter for him, nearly unable to resist pulling him back into me and fucking him myself. I reached my hand between my legs and watched him as he looked back over at me, teasing him while pushing my fingers into my desperate, soaking walls. He bit his lip at me but stayed where he was, the veins in his neck and forehead all to easy to notice as they bulged underneath his skin.   
“Tell that piece a’ shit I’ve got some words for him when I get there. There’s a fuckin’ reason we were waitin’ to send anybody in there.” He waited for another response and stepped back over to me, resting his hand along the outside of my thigh.   
“FUCK.” He yelled again. “And you already called Murph?” Connor forced a harsh sigh and dropped his head in resignation. “Fuck. You all better get on yer fuckin’ knees and beg for forgiveness for interrupting me now because I’m fuckin’ busy. I’ll be there. And don’t do another fuckin’ thing until I do.” He growled, finally hanging up and tossing it to land hard on the counter. He rushed back to me and pressed a heavy kiss on my lips. I pulled away from him and put my hand on his chest.   
“Is everything okay?” I asked, worried.   
“No. But fuck it. I have pressing business here that needs to be tended to.” He said, switching gears, his voice changing from frustration to lust as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. I bit my lip and he plunged his tongue into my mouth, moving with a new ferocity I could barely keep up with.   
“Fuck me, Connor.” I breathed, biting at his lower lip. Barely needing the say so, he pushed hard into me, instantly pressing into the tender spot of nerves buried deep inside my core. My breath left me in short gasps as Connor bucked his hips, our eyes locked with one another’s. I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and massaged at the soft patch of hair, pulling his lips to mine.   
“Oh shit, yes.” I said, my breath caught in my lungs and knots of unforgiving need pulling at every last muscle. Connor nipped at the curve of my neck and moved his hand between us, pressing his fingertips into my clit and moving in delicious circles. He pumped harder and I lost all control, a thundering wave of complete rapture sweeping over me. I wrapped my arms loosely around his shoulders and panted into his ear, my voice small and begging as he bucked his hips. Connor’s hands pressed hard into my hips and a few low, husked moans escaped his throat, his shoulders and the muscles of his back growing rigid beneath my hands. With every last ounce I could, I forced myself to tighten around him, throwing him into the same senseless abyss I’d fallen into. With a final hard thrust, his voice came out in a loud moan and his hands gripped my hips.   
Connor kissed along the skin of my neck and down between my breasts, still moving in slow, easy movements between my legs as we caught our breath and rode the dwindling waves of our release together. I ran my hands along the sides of his chest as he took my nipple between his lips and tugged lightly.   
“Sounds like you need to get to wherever your brother is.” I whispered, wishing I didn’t have to let him go. He slowed to a stop inside of me and returned to kissing at the curve of my neck.   
“Not that I want you to… But it sounded important.” I continued, wrapping my arms around him.   
“I don’t want to. Jus’ one ‘a those things, though.” His voice was low and gritty.   
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I offered, hoping he’d say yes.   
“You’ve already done it, sugar.”   
I smiled and squeezed tighter, happy to have helped in any small way. A wicked smile stretched across my cheeks.   
“Is there anything ELSE I can do to help? I don’t know what you’ll be doing or why, but I can maybe lend a hand?” I offered again, feeling the velvet of his skin slowly pull out of me. I closed my legs and watched as he rubbed at the back of his neck.   
“Nah, place I’m headed is no place for a beautiful woman like you to get caught up in.” He said, bending over and helping me pull on my shorts, kissing my stomach and up to my chest as he stood. I hopped down from the counter and took his face in my hand, kissed his cheek and looked at him. His eyes were bright blue and focused solely on me, his expression defeated when he opened his mouth.   
“I wanna stay with ya, but I need to take care of this first. Where’s yer phone?”   
I pointed across the room and he retrieved it along with a pad of paper and a pen. He scribbled down his number and kissed my cheek, handing me the pen.   
“Write down yer number and I’ll call you later. I wanna see you tonight.” Connor smiled and ran his hand up along my spine and turned toward the hallway. He disappeared up the stairs and I bit my lip, following his orders with the pen and paper before taking a drink and wincing at the coffee that had turned ice cold.   
Connor came back downstairs a few minutes later, buckling his belt as he rounded into the hall and met me at the kitchen doorway. I followed him to the door and pulled on a sweater, bringing it tight around my waist and offered him my keys.   
“Just be careful. Whatever you have to do.”   
“I don’t need yer car, sugar. He’s my ride.” He said, leaning in and kissing my cheek as he pointed to Katy’s black Lexus parked and idling in front of my stoop. I peered past his shoulder, watching Katy smile at Murphy and kiss him goodbye before pouring herself out of the passenger side door. Katy waved and rounded the front of her car as Murphy lowered his window and got her attention. I returned mine back to Connor as he took a step down, his face level with mine. He pulled me close and brought my hand up to his lips, taking the paper I had rolled up in my hand before kissing gently on the back of my palm.   
“I’ll call you as soon as we’re done. We’ll grab pizza or somethin’. Alright?” His tone was relaxed and he kissed my cheek, his hand resting easily on my hip.   
“Until then, you're all mine.” Katy joked, winking at me as she came up to the same step as Connor. The smile that stretched across his cheeks turned me into mush and all I could do was nod my head and smile back at him.   
“I’ll see you later.” He said smoothly, winking at me and turning to go. He joined his brother and the two were gone, off to only God knew where doing something that sounded dangerous enough to feel unsettling. I stood on the steps, feeling a strange mix of daze and worry and an unrelenting need to feel Connor with me, staring out into the streets before Katy’s voice brought me back to reality.


	7. Chapter 7

“What do they do?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.   
“Bug the shit out of each other.”   
“They’re brothers. That’s a given. But what do they do?”   
“Annoy the crap out of me.”   
Katy laughed to herself and took another sip of coffee, crossing her legs.   
“It’s hard to explain… They’re kind of like security, but not really.. I don’t know. It’s really something Connor ought to explain to you instead.”   
“Do they get called out like that all the time?”   
“Mm, fairly frequently. They’re the higher ups, so they mainly organize everything. But sometimes they get called in when something goes wrong. But. Like I said. It’s really something you’re better off letting Connor or Murphy explain to you.”   
“He was pretty pissed off when he got that call this morning.”   
“Connor’s funny like that. He’s got pretty high expectations of the people he has working under him. To be fair though, Murphy wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine getting that call either. Apparently whatever the project was was pretty straight forward.”   
“So they always work together, then?”   
“Pretty much. They’re a team. They work best that way.”   
“Do you worry a lot? The look on his face scared the shi-”   
“Brooke. Stop. Relax. They’re used to it. They’ll be fine. They can handle themselves.”   
I chewed on the inside of lip, feeling unsettled at being so misinformed and in-the-dark. Uneasy, I took a drink of coffee and stood up from the dining room table, looking for something- anything to busy myself with.   
“Man, he must’ve done a number on you. You’re all kinds ‘a bent outta shape.”   
“No, I just hate not knowing what’s going on. My dad did the same thing when my mom got sick. When I asked him where she was he just said she was on a business trip… and then she was dead three days later. I really hate not knowing.”   
“Wow… I’m so sorry,” Katy said, her expression somber before she continued. “But, I can tell you this. Connor and Murph are more than capable of handling themselves and whatever they’ve got to deal with… You hungry?”   
“I cou-” I started before the sounds of four loud bangs came from the front door. “Jesus fucking Christ.” Stepping into the hallway, I turned toward the door, a strange chill running down my spine.   
“You expecting company?” Katy asked over my shoulder.   
“No I…” My voice trailed off and Katy pushed her way into the hallway in front of me, peering through the peep hole.  
“Jesus. You know any junkies? Because this girl is a damn mess.” Katy said, looking back at me before returning to look through the hole. My stomach dropped and I lost my breath, feeling like someone had punched me in the gut.   
“Holy shit.” I whispered, my eyes wide. I peered out the door myself and slowly backed away and leaned on the wall, sliding down and wrapping my arms around my knees, my hands trembling.  
“Woah, what the hell? Who is that? Are you alright?” Katy asked, kneeling down to check on me.   
I couldn’t feel. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breath. My eyes burned and I forced myself to squeeze them shut, a single, painful tear streaming down my cheek. I swallowed hard and leaned my head back, trying to will away the anger and frustration and terror and sheer sadness I felt knowing that my sister - who I hadn’t seen in nearly a decade - was standing right outside of my door.   
I could barely believe she was even still alive. Over the years, I’d gotten accustomed to being okay with the idea that she was just gone. Whether she was dead and buried in a shallow grave somewhere or caught up in a life fueled and totally consumed by meth or heroin or whatever the fuck she polluted her body with, I knew I would never see the same sister I had had when I was younger again. Even by the time our parents were gone, she had faded into someone I could barely recognize. The last time I had seen her was outside of a shitty diner just inside the edge of the city on my 21st birthday. I’d been out with friends and we’d stopped for some coffee and greasy food when I noticed her as we pulled in. She was sitting on the curb at the side of the building, fumbling with some kind of folded piece of paper as I poured out of the car, far too concerned with whatever the hell she was doing to notice me walk right in front of her. Even after too many drinks that night, my heart was broken watching my older sister sit there on the curb, alone and frail, completely consumed in getting her next fix.   
Overtime, the thought that she was constantly battling drug addiction after drug addiction weighed too heavily on my conscience, the worry and doubt of whether she was still alive and struggling or dead and forgotten too much for me to handle. It was painful and sickening to think that she could still be subjecting herself to living a life of doing whatever she had to to get her next fix. And as much as I hated myself for doing so, I had grown to be okay with believing she was dead and gone, because by then, in a sense, she already was. And now, here she was. Nearly ten years later, actually alive and standing right outside my door.   
“BROOKE.” Katy snapped her fingers. I snapped back to reality, more tears streaming down my face. “Are you alright?”   
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” I stammered, wiping at my cheeks.   
“You don’t look fine. Who is that?” Katy asked quietly, helping me up onto my feet. I fumbled with my hands as they started to shake and Katy held them in hers, looking at me straight in the eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut at another wave tears and swallowed them back, meeting her gaze before I opened my mouth.   
“My sister.” My voice was small and weak. I forced my lungs to take a long, deep breath and Katy relaxed a little, her eyes still on me.   
“Are you serious? Wow. ” She asked, looking through the peep hole again to make sure Anna was still there.   
“Do you want me to tell her to leave and come back later?”   
“No. I don’t want her to come back. I don’t want her to be here at all. I haven’t seen her in like ten years.”  
“Wh-“  
“It’s a long, complicated story.” Katy paused and gave me a cautious look.   
“Well, do you want me to tell her to leave?”   
“No… no, I need to deal with her myself.”   
“Are you sure? Because you look like shit.” Katy gave a slight smile and squeezed my hand, trying to lighten the mood.   
I hesitated just long enough for Katy to make the decision for me, her hand resting on the door knob. I tried pulling myself together and wiped at my cheeks again before I tucked myself next to the door and out of sight. Anna pounded on the door again, this time harder than before. Impatient and desperate, just like she used to be. If I could say anything positive about my sister, it would be that at least she was consistent.


	8. Chapter 8

“Where’d they go?” Anna’s voice was harsh and scratchy. I sucked in my breath and stayed as still as possible, praying she couldn’t see me.   
“Excuse me?” Katy asked.   
“Those two guys. Where’d they go? I saw ‘em leave here.”   
Katy gave her an incredulous look, leaning all of her weight onto one hip.   
“And just who the fuck are you?”   
“That ain’t important, bitch.” Anna answered, the sound of metal clicking quickly following. Katy froze where she stood and took a step back. “Now. Fuckin’ answer me.”   
Anna’s frail, track marked arm stretched into the threshold of the house, gun pointed directly at Katy’s chest. I swallowed back another wave of tears and reached out to take her wrist, stepping into view.   
“Anna.” It was all I could manage to say, finally face to face with a woman I had long made myself believe was gone forever. I don’t know what I had expected to feel finally seeing her in person, but it certainly wasn’t that I would feel absolutely nothing. The woman I was looking at was not a person I knew. Her eyes weren’t the vivid green that matched mine, but instead were faded and dazed, empty and flat. Her hair, which had once been the vibrant auburn like my own, had thinned and grayed to a mix of mousy brown and silver. Her skin felt delicate and nearly tearable under my fingertips as I lowered her arm and stepped in front of her, her complexion nearly translucent as all the color left her face and she stared directly at me.   
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice flat and distant.   
“Fuck.” She whispered to herself, taking a small step back and dropping her hand to her side. “What the fuck are you doing here?”   
Instantly angry, I bit down hard, feeling the muscles in my jaw flex.   
“I fucking live here, Anna. You mind telling me what you’re doing on my doorstep with a fucking gun?”   
Anna took a step back and chewed the inside of of her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.   
“This is fucked up.” She said, shaking her head and pointing her finger at Katy’s chest. “This is fucked up, and you know it.”   
Katy’s brow furrowed and she reared back in confusion.   
“What the hell are you talking about? Who are y-”   
Anna was gone an instant later. Katy and I poured out the door and down to the sidewalk, watching as Anna disappeared around a corner.   
“YOU MIND TELLING ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE, KATY? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!” I yelled, my pulse roaring in my ears.   
“You think I know?!”   
“She sure as shit seemed to know you!” I hissed.   
“Brooke, I swear I’ve never seen her in my fucking life!”   
“Then how the fuck did she know who you were?”  
“I don’t know! I swear. I have never seen her before.”   
My head was spinning, anger and confusion boiling together in a rancid mess as I tried to make any kind of sense of what had just happened.   
“I need to call Murphy. I don’t know what’s going on, but he needs to know about this.”   
Katy looked over at me as I leaned against the tree, holding my head as I struggled to wrap my head around everything. She was silent for a moment before I heard her on the phone, her tone serious and hushed as I eavesdropped.   
“Hey where are you?… That was it? Seriously?… I guess it’s better than the alternative. But you need to get Connor over here right now, Murph… I don’t know, but some junkie just held a gun to my fucking chest… No, why?… Well it’s kind of something she needs to hear from him… Whatever, just get back over here… Alright… Love you.” She hung up her phone and let out a long sigh, pacing before turning her attention to me.   
“Alright, let’s go inside. They’ll be back in like… twenty minutes. We’ll go back to our place.”   
“Am I going to get some sort of explanation for all of this? Because this is fucking me up.” I asked, scratching at the back of my head.   
“Brooke. I’m sorry. I really am.” She said, resigned.   
“Can you please just tell me what’s going on?”   
“I want to. Trust me. But honestly, I don’t know. I can’t even tell you if the boys do or not, Murphy didn’t tell me anything.”   
I huffed out a breath and went back inside, Katy following closely behind me. I slumped back into a barstool and Katy took her place beside me, resting her chin on her hand.   
“Brooke, whatever is going on here, they will do whatever it takes to figure it out and keep you safe. Those two, no matter how stupid and wild they can be, are good at what they do. They take it seriously and take really good care of me.”  
I thought for a moment and took another drink of cold coffee, watching Katy carefully as she stared into her coffee and absently turned her mug from side to side.   
“So you’ve really never seen her before?”   
“Never.”   
“And you don’t know why she was here?”  “If I did, I would have told you. She had a gun… I don’t mess around with that shit.”   
Katy looked just as shaken as I did over everything. There wasn’t a single reason I could think of that would give her reason to lie about something like this.   
“I hate to bring it up, but what’s the story with you and- what was her name?”   
“Anna.”   
“What happened?”   
“She’s just always had issues.”  
“You and I both know better than to take that as the full story. Ten years? You’ve gotta give me something here.”  
I sighed in resignation, dreading opening up the old scars again. But Katy had a point. If any sense was to be made here, the least I could do would be to tell her who we were dealing with.  
“When our parents died, she just… disappeared, basically. I can barely remember a time when she wasn’t on some kind of substance. She’s much older than I am, so she was out on her own when they died. I went to live with our aunt and she just… left. She’d drop in every once in a while when she wanted something. Every time she looked worse than the last.” Katy just sat and listened, hanging onto my words.   
“Eventually, she stopped coming around all together. I saw her at a diner when I turned 21, but she was too strung out to notice me and I haven’t seen or heard from her since. I honestly believed she was dead… believing that was better than any other alternative.”   
Katy said nothing, nodding her head in understanding. We sat in silence for a long time, each of us topping off our coffee as we waited for the boys to return.   
“I’m really sorry about your sister.” She said quietly a while later, wrapping her arm loosely around my shoulders.   
“It’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s nothing anyone can change now. She is who she is.”   
“I mean what she did to you. What she’s done to herself. I’m sorry.”   
“Mm. Well, like I said. She is who she is. And she’s done what she’s done. I’m not sorry… I’m not anything.” I said, knowing it was a partial lie. Katy brought me in tight, wrapping her other arm around me for a long hug.  
“If you’re not sorry… then wh-”  
“Then why am I so upset?”  
“Yeah.”   
“I’m upset because she abandoned me. And I hated her for a long time for that… But more than that, she abandoned them. Seeing her is just a reminder of how little she cared about them… and how awful it was for me to have to deal with losing them alone. They loved her and she couldn’t even show up to their services. I’m not upset for me. I’m pissed off because of what she did to them.”  
“Did… shit, did she kill them?”  
“No. No, of course not. Our mom died of the flu and our dad was hit by drunk driver six months later. No, what she did was worse. She didn’t even give a shit.” I stopped and stayed perfectly still, forcing myself to come to terms with what Anna’s life had become.  
“And, underneath it? Underneath everything? I’m pissed off because it hurt when she never showed up. As much as I hate to admit it, it hurts knowing that she chose whatever life she’s living over her family. Over our parents. Over me. I loved her… Our parents were gone. I was twelve and she just left. How could she just… leave? Leave and make me deal with that on my own? I loved her.” I took a moment to pause and swallow at the hardening ball of hurt lodged in the back of my throat.   
“I always did… And part of me still does. I hate seeing what she’s turned into. I fucking hate it so much… that’s why I spent so many years telling myself she was dead. It was easier that way. I knew better, but it was easier. And now that she’s here? That she knows where I live? Nothing good will come of it. Nothing. Not for her, not for me. And seeing her will just be a reminder of everything she’s done. Every time she came begging for money. Every time she stole something for drug money. Everything.” Tears burned in my eyes before I blinked them away, feeling small and weak.   
“I’m so sorry.” Katy whispered, pulling me close again. Funny how someone I’ve known for a matter of a couple of months felt like more of a sister than my real one.  
“Thank you.” I said, pulling away from her when a loud knock rapped on the door. I pulled myself together and checked the door, relieved at the two men waiting outside.   
“Are you alright?” Connor asked after I let him inside, taking my arm and pulling me into his. Murphy slid into the hallway and joined Katy, following Connor’s suit before he kissed her.   
“I’m okay.”   
“Sure?”   
“I’m sure.” Connor stepped inside and pulled me with him, the smell of smoke trailing behind him.  
“So what happened?” Murphy aske, waiting for either of us to answer.   
“This woman showed up on the doorstep… maybe twenty minutes after you left and asked where you went. I asked her who she was and she pointed a gun at me.”   
“She have a scar on her cheek? Looks like a ‘J’?” Connor asked, filling his cup from earlier and taking a drink.   
“Yes.” I answered, leaning against the counter, remembering the car accident that gave it to her.   
“She say anything?” Murphy asked, taking a seat on Katy’s lap and wiggling his hips. She slapped him and gave him a look of annoyance.   
“Just that ‘this is fucked up and you know it.’… that was it.”   
Murphy twisted his mouth as he thought and looked over at his brother.   
“She say her name at all? Sounds like it was Anna.” Connor pointed out.   
“Yeah, it was her.” I said, both boys quickly turning to look at me. “She’s my sister.”   
Dread and embarrassment welled up into a heavy ball in my stomach and I fidgeted with my hands before anyone else said anything.   
“Shit… wasn’t expectin’ ta hear that one.” Murphy said. “Somethin’ else, that one.”   
“What do you mean?” I asked, my curiosity of the answer overriding the fear of it. Neither Connor or Murphy spoke up, both of them looking at me with cautious unease. I crossed my arms over my chest and closed my eyes, bracing myself. “Please. Just tell me.”   
“She’s mixed up with a bad group ‘a some hardcore shitheads. They toss her around like a fuckin’ rag doll ‘cause she’ll do pretty much anything they want her to.” Connor conceded, bracing himself to watch me fall apart in front of him.  
“You mean like… she sells it?”   
“Nah, she don’t deal.”   
“I mean, she’s a prostitute.”   
“Oh. Well… yeah.”   
My heart broken, I dropped my face into my hands and took a deep breath. I would have rather have heard she’d been found dead in an alley than to have to come to terms with what she’d let herself become. I stayed perfectly still for a few long moments, the three of them patiently waiting for me to accept the unacceptable.   
“You okay?” Connor asked quietly, taking my hand.   
“I’m fine. I thought she was dead. At least she’s alive, I guess” I shrugged my shoulders, trying to cover up the hurt I felt at the reality of what Anna’s life was. Connor’s expression morphed into a mix of confusion and sadness and he squeezed my hand.   
“Can you tell me what’s going on? I need to know what’s going on.”   
“Come on.” Connor said, standing up and pulling me with him. “We need to get outta here. If that chick know’s where you live, she’s gonna stick around. Let’s get to our place and settle in. I’ll explain everything.” He continued, pulling me closer to him and locking his eyes with mine. “I promise.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Excuse me?” Panic seared at every nerve and burned in my chest like battery acid. I looked over at Katy and she just sat there, relaxed. Almost at ease. Connor squeezed my hand in my lap and I yanked it away from him, pulling my arms around myself.   
Their place was nice. The couch was soft and comfortable. The whole place was warm and welcoming, and tidier than I expected with Connor and Murphy under the same roof. But I felt none of those things. Now I felt… confused. Dumbfounded and childish, sitting there with a stupid look on my face, trying to make sense of something I doubted I would ever make sense of. How on earth was this happening? How could these two men sitting on either side of me be The Saints? They’d killed dozens of men. Wreaking havoc across Boston ridding the streets of people they thought weren’t worthy of life, dividing the city on whether they loved or hated them for standing up and eradicating some the shitheads of the world.   
I’d seen the headlines. I’d heard the news broadcasts and their concerned tones and curious questions as they’d asked the citizens of Boston how they felt about The Saints. But I’d never given them much thought because what they did never touched my life. Not until now. Now, here I was, sitting on a couch in what I had thought was an old factory, being told that the man I’d slept with, who I couldn’t help but like, was responsible for the deaths of countless men. I couldn’t pinpoint how I felt except for unnerved and uncomfortable. He placed his hand on my knee and gave it a gentle squeeze, watching me carefully. He started talking again, but his voice was muffled as I got lost, staring straight ahead as I tried to think myself through what he’d told me.   
“Are you okay?” Katy piped up from her end of the couch.   
“I… don’t know… I mean- how long have you known?” I asked, finally turning to look at someone, Katy looking back at me.   
“Almost the whole time I’ve been here.” Murphy wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple, lounging back into the couch.   
"And you're... okay with this?"   
"No." She stated, matter of factly. “No, I’m not.” She paused for a moment and chewed on her lip and looked over at Murphy, then to Connor and back to me. "Look. It's not just as simple as being okay with something, Brooke."   
I pulled my legs beneath me and took a deep breath, hoping someone would elaborate on how any of what they did was okay.   
"Brooke. Think about it." She said, plainly. "The people these two target are horrible people who do terrible things. Murderers. Rapists. Child molesters... Drug dealers. It’s not just a matter of being okay with it. It’s a matter of recognizing which kind of bad thing is better for everyone than the other.”   
I chewed on my lip, still feeling too much unease to say anything.   
"What they do is important." She finally said, looking over and watching Connor as he rolled a cigarette between his fingers. "People don't like to admit it, but it is… I don't like that they're the ones who started it. And I certainly don't like knowing that they could be ripped from my life at any moment by some piece of shit fool with a gun. But I know that what they do matters. I've seen it for myself. People don't like to think that The Saints protect them by doing what they do, but it's a plain fact of the matter that they do. They may not directly protect someone, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t. They take dangerous people off the streets and put them where they belong. In the ground… I hate it. I really do. But I understand it. And I understand that it's necessary."   
The more Katy said, the more I felt myself relax, the tension in my shoulders easing with each passing second. Katy was one of the smartest people I could think of and who was I to think she hadn't thought about this longer and harder than I ever could?   
"What do you mean you've seen it for yourself?" I asked.   
"I mean I've been in the middle of it. More than once. I would be dead if they hadn't been here, each time, doing exactly what they do."   
“Somehow I don’t see you being mixed up with drug dealers or rapists…”   
She looked down at her lap and Murphy took her hand, giving it a warm squeeze while Connor sat up a little straighter.   
“She doesn’t. But it was our fault that she got thrown into it.” Murphy said quietly.   “Murph. How many times do we need to go over this?” She asked, the two now focused on the small point. “Neither of those incidences were your fault. So stop it.”   
Connor leaned toward me and placed his hand warmly on my knee as his brother and Katy had their words.  
“Guys, can we get back to the actual point, please?” I interrupted, moving closer to Connor.   
“Anyway, these wannabe mafiosos came stormin' in here thinkin' they had the jump on us. She was here waitin' fer us to get home and they jumped her instead. Tied her up. Bashed her in the head a few times before we came blastin' through the door.” Murphy explained, his voice small at the painful memory. “ An’ that was just the first time.”   
"Oh my god." My eyes widened and I looked over at her, covering my mouth.  
"She lost a lotta blood that night. Took us forever to get it cleaned up 'cause we didn't come home until we knew she was okay." Connor chimed in, looking over at me.   
"What on earth did they do to you? What happened?”  
"Very minor compound depressed skull fracture. One of the guys hit me hard with the butt of a gun. Fracture was small, but the cut was bad enough that I needed nine staples. The other one nearly choked the life out of me before Murphy and Connor got here, but that was after he gave me a black eye and this wicked scar on my jaw.”  
“And that was just the first time? What was the other?”  
“A story for another time.” She answered quietly, lacing her fingers with Murphy’s.   
Murphy ran his other hand through her hair and kissed her temple, keeping her close to him. I couldn’t help but watch them and smile at what they had. The affection was deep and pure between them, founded by a level of trust and loyalty I’d never seen or had myself. I took a moment and stared down into my lap, wondering to myself how Anna had managed to get herself involved, knowing that at this point, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Resigned, I took Katy’s logic and ran with it, accepting that whatever the brothers did, it had to be done. I had to admit that it was actually easier to see the good in what they did than to focus on the bad. Whatever their reasoning was didn’t matter. Just hearing how they saved my friend, even before I ever met her, brought me comfort. Knowing that they would do whatever it took to keep the people they cared about safe was easier than reminding myself that they themselves were murderers too.   
“Okay.” I said, settling myself into acceptance. “Okay, but, here’s where I’m stuck… Where the hell does Anna get involved here? Why would she be looking for you?” I asked, watching Connor visibly relax. He took my hand and kissed it softly, smiling at me. A swift, warm blanket of affection washed over me before he answered.   
“Like we said earlier, the group she’s mixed up with is nothin’ but a bunch ‘a pieces ‘a shit. Junkies, thieves, wannabe thugs.”   
“All they fuckin’ want is drugs, money and pussy.”   
“Jesus, Murphy. Be a little less fucking insensitive.” Katy interjected, annoyed.   
“That’s how they see things, babe. They don’t value shit like we do.” He defended.   
“Anyway, point is. Least what I get is she’s like a pet to them. She goes around and does some ‘a their dirty work and they give her drugs an’ shit for it. Anytime I see her, she’s fucked.”   
“It’s no surprise.” I admitted, embarrassed to even know. “Anytime I’ve ever seen her, even when I was little, she was on something. Started with weed. Moved on to pills and then to other things and it got worse from there.”   
“Well, we tagged one of her frequent flyers last night. I’ve seen her with him a lot anyway… enough to make me think she mighta liked him fer more than what he had in his pockets or between his legs. She musta followed us to yer place after. And here we are.” Connor leaned back and rested his foot on his knee, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag and looking over at me.   
“So what do you do from here?”   
“Ain’t done with them yet. But I guess we’ll just hafta deal with her when and if that time comes ‘cause I’m sure she’ll turn up at some point. She ain’t done anything to deserve it, b-“  
“Murphy!”   
“No, Katy. It’s okay. I get it.” Katy looked over at me, her expression a mix of surprise and mild disgust. “I get it.   
“You sure about that?” Connor piped up, leaning forward toward me.   
“I don’t like it, but I get it.”   
“You mind elaborating?”   
“Con-“  
“No, Katy, it’s fine.” I interjected, resigning myself yet again. “I went a long time believing she was gone. So I guess it wouldn’t be so hard for me to come to terms with it now. Especially if she’s put herself in the situation she’s in.” Connor and Murphy watched me carefully, waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath and tried my hardest to remember how exactly I told Katy earlier.   
“Our parents died when I was twelve. She’s nearly a decade older than I am, so she was already out of the house… and before that, she’d always had problems with drugs like I said earlier. She came and went over the next few years and then she just stopped coming around. She abandoned her family like it was nothing. Abandoned me. The only other person who knew what it was like to have them as parents. To feel what it was like when they said ‘I love you’.” Tears burned at the backs of my eyes and I blinked them away, swallowing hard at the hard knots in my throat. “She was gone like they meant nothing. Like I meant nothing. And now… now that’s what she is. Nothing.”   
We were silent for a long time, my word echoing in all of our heads. Connor reached over and ran his hand across my shoulders and pulled me close to him. I could feel in his touch he hadn’t liked what he’d heard and I couldn’t blame him. He wrapped his arm around me and I collapsed into him, taking steady deep breaths to keep myself in check. I pulled away and stood up in front of him, straightening my sweater.   
“I’m really hungry.” I said, crossing my arms across my chest and waiting.  
“I could go fer some fuckin’ pizza.” Murphy chimed in, jumping from his seat and pulling Katy with him.   
“You and pizza, I swear.” She smiled. Connor was the last to stand as he watched me carefully. I gave him a tired, easy smile and felt his gaze as he watched me gather my coat.   
“We’ll be in the car.” Katy said, making a quick exit with Murphy. I turned around and Connor was leaning against the pool table, his ankles crossed, still watching me.   
“What?”   
“You really okay with all ‘a this?” His expression was earnest and hoping.   
“No, but I don’t really have much of a choice.”   
“Course ya do.”  
“No, I don’t.”   
“You don’t hafta sta-“  
“Connor, I’m not talking about me being here. I’m talking about Anna.”   
“Doesn’t mean you still don’t have a choice.”   
“Do I, though?”   
“Of course ya do. Say the word and we won’t touch her.”   
“No, Connor, I don’t. Anna’s going to do whatever she wants to protect who she wants to protect. If that puts her in harms way, then so be it. I can’t do anything to control or change that.”  
“You sure you’re okay with livin’ with that?”   
“I’m going to have to be. What’s to say it doesn’t happen at the hands of someone else anyway?”   
Connor turned his head and stared at nothing.   
“Alright, but… what about everything else?”   
“You mean you and Murphy?”   
“Aye.”   
“That… I also can’t change.”   
“I know, but…”   
“Connor. Stop.”   
“No. I needa know.”   
“Connor, the more I think about it, the more uneasy it makes me. I don’t like it. But I really don’t want to talk about it.”   
“Might as well, though. Better to get it outta the way now than to bury it and hafta dig it back up again.” He said, desperate to get the air cleared. I huffed a sigh and went to him.   
“Look. I’ll say this one time and then we’re going to drop this and not pick it back up. I get it. Plain and simple. I don’t like it, but I get it. Good men doing bad things to take bad people doing bad things off the street is better than bad people doing bad things and good people turning the other cheek to it. I get it. One evil is slightly less so than another. I can live with that as long as it doesn’t harm you or your brother or Katy or me.” Connor looked closely at me for a moment before resting his hand on my hip, looping his finger into a belt loop and pulling me closer to him.   
“And yer sure you can live with what could happen with yer sister?”   
“Connor, I can’t lose something that I never really had to begin with.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Unlock the fuckin’ door, Murph!” Connor shouted, stumbling out of Katy’s car.   
“Whatta ya think I’m doin’? Jesus fuckin’ Christ.”   
“We don’t hafta go inside, ya know. We can do this right here.” I purred, tugging at Connor’s shirt and pulling him toward me as I sat on the edge of the car’s back seat. He took my arms in his hands and heaved me up onto my feet, bearing all of my drunken weight.   
“You kiddin’? I need more room for what I’m about to do to you.” He said in a near growl into my neck, his breath hot and heavy against my skin. The blissful tingle of excitement radiated from every nerve and I shoved my hand under Connor’s belt and into his jeans, tracing along the waistband of his boxers. He pressed his lips against mine and his tongue slipped between them, his mouth sweet and slightly bitter from the mix of whiskey and cigarettes. Lost in the feel of his hands moving swiftly along my body, we stayed there for a while, leaning against the open edge of Katy’s car.   
“Jesus, you guys.” Katy’s voice came from the door a few yards away. She rifled through the console of her car and returned inside a moment later, lingering at the door as she laughed to herself. I broke away from Connor and smiled at him. Slightly embarrassed, I straightened my clothes and headed inside, leaving Connor and his aching erection to fend for themselves.   
Happy to be back in the comfort of a warm building, I took a barstool at the kitchen counter and waited for Connor to join me. Katy stopped next to me a moment later, her soft hand resting gently on my shoulder. She gave me an easy, crooked smile and walked away, disappearing down a hallway just off of the kitchen and closing a door softly behind her. I sat in silence on my own for a few minutes, swaying slowly in my seat and relishing in the glorious numbness that came with too much booze in too little time. A chill ran across my skin and I turned around to see Connor leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me easily from across the room.   
“Thanks for tonight.” I said quietly as he walked over to me and leaned back against the counter. He ran his fingers through my hair and let it rest at the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. “And for takin’ me to let my dog outside.”  
“Yer welcome. Thanks for comin’.” His voice was low and lustful, making me melt from the inside out.   
“You always that bad at pool though? That’s two nights in a row.”   
“I was distracted.”  
“I’m sure that was it.”   
“Not my fault it’s damn near impossible ‘ta keep my eyes off ya.”   
Our lips met for a heavy, drunken kiss, the feel of his lips against mine just as intoxicating as the innumerable drinks we’d had. Connor ran his hands down along my ribs and around my hips, picking me up to let me wrap my legs around him. Slowly, he carried me to the couch and laid me down, our lips never losing one another’s as he leaned over me. I reached between us and pulled off his shirt and started to fumble with his belt before he pulled away from me and finished the job of undressing himself. I bit my lip at the sight of him looming over me, feeling myself squirm uncontrollably as he reached for the zipper of my jeans. A moment later my jeans were in a heap on the floor along with my shirt and bra, Connor ripping at the delicate lace of my panties, threads pulling and tearing between his fingers.   
“Really?” I laughed, watching him kiss along my hip and toward the excited flesh between my legs.   
“Not like you’ll need ‘em.” He purred into my skin, dipping his tongue between my lips and finding my delicate bud. I let out a long breath at the feel of his tongue, moving my hips to the rhythm of his mouth and running my fingers through his hair. Connor ran his hands along the smooth skin of my thigh and his fingers found my slick entrance, quickly moving inside of me before sucking on them. He pushed them inside of me again, kissed the inside of my thighs and leaned up over me, letting me taste myself and returning his attention between my legs.   
Connor’s fingers moved inside of me again and he traced his tongue in heavenly circles around my clit, taking my breath away. The heat of excitement swept into my chest and flushed across my skin while I ran my fingers through his hair and along his shoulder. Connor moved one of his arms up and tugged at my nipple as I writhed beneath him, harsh gasps coming from deep in my throat as he brought me closer and closer to ecstasy. He pulled away from me and leaned back on his heels, biting his lip as he watched me catch my breath.   
“Come ‘ere.” He said, his voice low and beautiful as I picked myself up. He laid down, moving a throw pillow under his back as he nestled into the corner of the couch. I slowly moved on my hands and knees toward him, grazing his tip along my breast before wrapping my lips around him. Connor sucked in a quick breath and bit on his lip, taking a firm handful of my hair while he watched me.   
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, girl.” Connor moaned as he threw his head back. I ran my hand along the skin of his thigh and up along to stroke him and lapped my tongue around his throbbing head, savoring the taste of him. He took a gentle squeeze of my hair and pushed himself deeper, his tip pressing at the back of my throat. I pulled away after I gagged on him, letting my reflex tickle his tip before taking all of him in both of my hands. Connor grabbed my arm and gave me a tight squeeze, pulling me up to straddle him. His skin was hot against mine, our chests touching as I lowered my self onto his lap, moaning into his shoulder as he filled me completely.   
“Good god, you’re fuckin’ ready, huh?” He breathed into the skin of my neck.   
“Mmhmm.” I purred, sitting up and running my hands along his chest. Connor’s hands fell to my hips and he pressed his fingertips into my skin while he bit his lip. He pulled his knees up and started to slowly move his hips beneath me, taking generous handfuls of my ass and picking up his speed.   
I tossed my hair over one shoulder and reached my hand between us, moving my fingers in desperate circles around my clit as my breath caught in my throat. Connor ran his hands up along my ribs and he took my nipples between his fingers, tugging at them playfully. Waves of delicious release swept up into my chest and flushed my skin, choking the air from my lungs as Connor bounced me on top of him. He sat up and pressed his lips against mine, wrapping his arms around me to pick me up and lay me on my back, never pulling himself from our heated connection. I pulled my knees toward my chest before he took my legs in his hands and moved them to rest on his shoulders. He kissed along my leg and leaned down over me, his eyes bright and focused on mine before he kissed me.   
"Mmm, you said you wanted to teach them a lesson." I said, my voice weak.  
"Yeah. I do."  
"Then get to it." I smiled and kissed him, tugging on his lower lip and running my hands along his ribs.   
"Yes ma'am." Connor husked into my chest. He straightened himself up, never pulling his eyes away from mine, and slowly started to move inside of me again. Pushing deeper with every thrust, Connor took his time, bringing his hand to run along my clit. My skin flushed as I tried with desperation to keep my breath.  
"Shit, yes. Oh my god." I breathed, tugging on his ear with my teeth and pressing my fingertips into the smooth skin of his back. I tightened myself around him and he started to move faster, bucking his hips hard into mine while harsh grunts escaped from his throat.   
"Fuck. Love that shit." Connor struggled to say, his breath leaving him in quick sharp breaths.   
"Mm, yeah?" I said as he leaned down and kissed me again, tugging on my lower lip when he pulled away.   
Connor pumped harder and faster, his fingers finding my clit and moving in furious circles and pushing me closer to the heavenly abyss I wanted more with him than anyone I'd been with before.   
"JESUS CHRIST, YOU TWO ARE FUCKIN' LOUD." Murphy's voice suddenly echoed from across the room, startling the both of us from the mixed crescendo of moans and heavy breathing. Connor pushed hard into me and stopped moving, winking at me before straightening up and turning to look at his brother.   
"Shut up."  
"There's people tryin' to sleep around here." Katy chimed in, her tone obviously amused.  
"Shut the fuck up, it ain't like yer the quietest. And it ain't like you two haven't fucked out in the open, either."   
"That means I get to see her naked too, right?" Murphy laughed as I heard him open and close the refrigerator door. I blushed and covered my face with my hands, giggling to myself after hearing the soft thud of Katy's fist hitting his arm. Connor pulled my hands away and smiled, clearly enjoying himself and my flush of embarrassment.   
“What? You’ve seen Connor naked. He’s seen you naked. Feel like I’m gettin’ the shit end ‘a the fuckin’ deal.”  
“Oh, give me a break, Murph.” Katy laughed.   
“Fuck you both, she's all mine." Connor said in my ear, his voice low.   
"That ain't fuckin' fair." Murphy joked. The sound of soft footsteps grew closer to us and Connor looked over the back of the couch.   
"We've all seen each other naked at one point or another. Maybe it’s a kind of right of passage.” Katy said, peeking down over the couch and giving me a playful wink.  
I bit my lip and Connor pulled me up by my arms, hugging me against him.   
"Get the fuck outta here, will ya?" Connor said, shooing Katy away and toward the hallway she and Murphy had come from.   
"Surprised you even remember how to use that thing." Murphy said, laughing and turning down the hallway, beer in hand.  
"Shut the fuck up." Connor returned, pressing his lips into the curve of my neck and slowly starting to move underneath me.   
"Mm, you certainly do." I breathed into his ear, wrapping my arms around his neck and rolling my hips with the rhythm of his.  
Katy disappeared down the hallway just behind Murphy, their door clicking softly behind them. Connor ran his hands along the outside of my thighs and up to rest in the curve of my hips, picking up his speed. He buried his lips into the glistening skin of my neck, kissing his way up behind my ear and tugged on my ear lobe. I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled my arms tighter around him, breathing his name as I moved faster in his lap.   
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, yes.” Connor said from between his teeth, his voice harsh and his hands gripping my hips tighter.  
“Connor, I- oh fuck. Mm-“ I stammered, choking on the growing swell of heat washing over me.   
“Oh my god, don’t you fucking stop. I’m gonna co-" I struggled to say, my words caught in my throat as Connor hit the tender bundle of nerves buried deep inside of me, throwing me into the heavenly abyss that I’d only found with him. I squeezed my eyes shut and lost myself in the feel of him. His skin smooth and like velvet moving inside of me, my ability to think or control the desperate moans escaping from deep in my throat.   
"SHIT, that's it." Connor breathed, pressing his lips against mine. My voice caught in my throat as Connor bucked beneath me, moving his hand between us to move in tight circles around my clit. With every movement he made, I lost what little control of myself I could hold onto, the fiery knots of bliss twisting and turning through every muscle in my body.   
Connor pulled me hard into his arms, squeezing me tightly against his skin as he tensed and flexed beneath me. His breath was heavy against my neck, accompanied by moans low and irresistible in my ear. I could feel him twitch inside of me, the heat of his skin radiating against mine as we tried to catch our breaths. I leaned back and pressed my lips against his, running my fingers through his hair and savoring the taste of his tongue tangling with mine. Connor ran his hands up along my sides and back down, wrapping one of his arms around my waist while his other took a firm hold my hip as he heaved us up and off of the couch. I wrapped my legs around him and hooked my ankles behind his back, feeling all of the muscles of his body flex against mine as he slowly carried me across the room and down a hallway.   
The world seemed to melt away with him, his heavy arms holding me easily, almost as if I were weightless in his arms. I nearly lost all sense of time or place as he pushed open his door and closed it softly behind us. His lips pressed against my neck and up along my jaw while our hips swayed smoothly, Connor turning around and lowering us on to his bed in one fluid movement. I straddled myself in his lap, all of him still buried deep inside of me as we continued to roll our hips together. Connor let his hands venture up along my ribs, the feel of them igniting a whole new kind of need inside of me. I leaned down and kissed him, slipping my tongue to move in delicious waves along with his as we started to move together faster. Connor's hands moved down to nestle in the curve my hips as I sat up straight above him, his thumb pressing into my aching clit and driving my senses into a craze.   
"Ya like that, do ya?" He husked, moving his hips faster beneath me as I sucked in a desperate breath from between my teeth.   
"Mm, fuck yes, I do." I said, my voice weak and catching as he pumped. Connor slowed himself to a stop and moved himself from under me, taking my hips and bending me over in front of him. He lined himself up between my legs but stayed there, all of his twitching erection hot and wanting as he slowly moved himself along my slick, ready folds.   
"Don't do this to me now, Connor." I begged, reaching between my legs and taking all of him in my hand and slowly working him.  
"You want me to fuck you?" He said, his voice low and deep in my ear. I turned to look at him, nodding and biting hard at my lip while every part of me ached for him.   
"Then you gotta fuckin' prove it."  
Connor backed away and ran his fingers along the inside of my thigh, giving me a pinch before leaning back on his heels. My breath left me in urgent, wanting exhales and I watched him move along his hungry erection, teasing and wicked and everything I could have ever wanted. The warmth and daze from too much to drink tilted the world in either direction, but nothing could distract me from the irresistible sight of Connor sitting back and stroking himself, his eyes bright and wild while he watched me lean into the bed and reach between my legs.   
"You want me to fuck myself first?" I taunted, biting my lip again.   
"Mmhm." He husked, leaning down and teasing my clit before kissing along my thigh.   
"We'll see how long that lasts." I said defiantly, slipping my fingers into my hot, wet entrance. Connor hissed at the sight before him and I let a warm laugh escape before moaning into the bedspread at the heavenly feel of my fingers moving inside of my slick, aching walls.   
"Fuck, that's what I like to fuckin' see." Connor said to himself and moving in luscious strokes along himself, growing harder and more irresistible by the second. I moved my fingers in fast, tight circles along my clit and brought my others to my mouth, sucking slowly and breathing heavily as I pushed myself into a white hot ecstasy that rolled through my body.   
Connor leaned forward and grabbed my hand, taking my fingers in his mouth and tasting me before plunging his tongue inside of me, his breath hot against my skin and sending waves of goose bumps across every inch of me. I ran my hand along the outside of his muscular thigh and nearly lost control, his tongue moving in thick, delicious waves inside of me and forcing the air in my lungs out in hot, heavy pants.   
"God, Connor, enough of this." I whined, my body begging to feel him inside of me. I looked over my shoulder to see him looking up at me, his fingers moving and teasing inside my soaked, aching walls and a wicked smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.   
"Oh, so you want me 'ta stop?" He teased,   
"Mm, only if that means you'll fuck me." I purred, running my hand down the side of his chest and letting my fingertips rest along his hip as he pulled himself up to lean over me. He pressed his lips to my shoulder and moved even closer, bringing his lips to mine and slipping his tongue to move in waves with mine and sharing the sweet taste of our sex with me. A low moan escaped from deep in my chest as I strained to keep kissing him, the feel of his throbbing tip pushing just inside of me agonizing and taunting.   
"Fuck, don't do this to me." I whimpered, biting my lip and pushing my hips into him. He laughed and kissed my neck, taking my nipple between his fingers and tugging playfully.   
"Haven't heard you ask nicely." He teased, moving himself slowly in and out of my aching core and driving me crazy with need.   
Giving in, I picked myself up and strained to reach and pull his face to my own, losing myself in his beautiful, soft blue eyes.   
"Please." I whispered, kissing his cheek and moving to nibble on his ear lobe. "I want to feel you come inside me."   
"That's my girl." He said, his voice low and like gravel. He took my waist to turn me over and pushed deeper inside of me, sending chills across my skin and driving my senses into a tailspin. He quickened his pace and straightened himself up, taking my knees in his hands and opening my legs to him. I bent my knees and bit my lip, looking down between us to watch him move quickly in and out of me, reaching down to run my fingers along our slick, heavenly connection. Connor reached up and lifted my chin, leaning down closer to me before moving his hand between us and replacing my hand with his.   
"Eyes on me, love." He said, his voice smooth and eyes piercing and focused solely on me. Connor slowed down to an easy, relaxed rhythm, rocking his hips against mine and running his hand along my chest. His gaze never left mine, the blue of his eyes so bright and mesmerizing I could barely take it. Connor wrapped his hand around my breast and thumbed my nipple, my breath catching as the luscious heat building in my core swept into my chest and on to flush my cheeks.   
Connor moved his arms to either side of me and picked up his speed, burying himself deeper inside of me with each powerful thrust. Like it was nothing, he fucked hard and fast, making delicious contact with the tender patch of nerves buried inside of me, stealing my breath away and throwing me over the edge to tumble into a blinding shockwave of ecstasy. Barely able to breath, I wrapped my arms around his neck and choked into his glistening skin, biting and nipping his shoulder as I tightened my walls around him.   
"Fucking Christ, Connor." I struggled to say, my voice catching and desperate in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut and dug my nails into the skin of his shoulders, arching my back into the thundering climax rolling through me.   
"Oh fuck, that's fucking it, love." He moaned, only pushing harder and faster.   
"Come for me, Connor." I whispered, breathless and begging. "I need to feel it. Make me fucking feel it."  
Everything around me faded as Connor moved and moaned into the skin of my neck. At his total mercy, I gasped hard for air and called out his name, trying desperately to gain some semblance of control and failing miserably. Connor kissed along my neck, biting lightly on my collarbone as he grew harder inside of me and his climax ripped through him. Harsh grunts escaped from his throat and he husked my name into my ear, his voice hard and irresistible before he collapsed into me and plunged his tongue between my lips for a long, delicious kiss.  
Connor pulled himself slowly from me and leaned down to run his tongue along my soaked and satisfied folds. My thighs twitched at the light feel of him tasting me and I bit my lip, pulling his arm to bring him back to me. He met me with another deep, sweet kiss and collapsed next to me, his hands falling to rest along my stomach before I pulled myself onto my hands and knees, kneeling in front of him and wrapping my lips around all of his softening member still slick and coated with the sweet taste of our release.   
I moved along him slowly, my tongue teasing him and earning low, satisfied moans from deep in his chest. Connor's hand fell to the back of my head and held it there as I bobbed my head in his lap, slowly massaging along my scalp and before pulling me up to curl into his arms.   
"Yer somethin' else, girl." Connor said quietly, catching his breath. I let my hand rest along his hip, lightly pressing my nails into his skin and earning a sharp inhale at the tickle I'd given him.   
"I know." I whispered into his skin. Connor pinched me softly and gave a weak laugh, pulling me closer into him.   
"Kinda likin' ya, though. Had a lot of fun with you so far."   
I moved to prop myself up on one arm, laying easily on my side and tangling my legs with his. A warm smile pulled at the corners of my mouth and I felt myself blush so hard I'm sure Connor could feel it on my skin.   
"Just kinda?"   
"Yeah, just a bit."   
"Well I kinda, mmmmaybe might be liking you a little bit, too."   
Connor hooked his finger under my chin and our lips met, our mouths rolling in sweet, delicious waves and his hands running along the ultra sensitive skin along my ribs. I broke away from him slowly and kissed along his neck and to his chest, finally settling comfortably into the warm corner of his shoulder. I listened to him breath slowly, the rhythm of his heart beat lulling me into a comfortable sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

"Shit." I mumbled, heaving myself out of Connor's arms and sitting at the edge of his warm bed. The room was filled with a soft glow, the morning sunlight coming in through the frosted windows and skylight above the bed. My stomach rolled in nauseating twists and knots, the room spinning around me as Connor stirred under the sheets behind me.   
"You alright?" He croaked, straining to look over at me as I leaned over, elbows on my knees and contemplating throwing up right then and there.   
"Surely you've got a bathroom." I groaned, rubbing at the headache beginning to pound between my temples. Connor's hand ran smoothly up my back to rest at the curve of my neck, his lips soft as he sat up and kissed my arm.   
"That door, love." He said, pointing across the room. The dark wood door stood slightly ajar, sunlight shining along the floor.   
"Another reason I don't go out that often. Can't handle my fucking booze. Never could." I complained, moving quickly through the door and feeling the familiar twinge as the contents of my stomach churned and tore up through my throat.   
Exhausted and feeling empty, I flushed the sins of the previous evening away and stood to lean against the sink, turned on the faucet and splashed my face with cool water. Instantly feeling better than the few minutes before, I took a long moment to rinse the taste out of my mouth with mouthwash and opened the door.   
"God, yer a fuckin' sight." He said smoothly as I finally emerged from the bathroom and stood naked at the foot of the bed, scratching absently at my shoulder. Suddenly too self conscious, I wrapped my arms around myself and felt my skin grow hot under his watchful gaze as he handed me a glass of water.   
"Stop it." I blushed, taking a long drink. The cool water seemed to ease my stomach and I sat down, balancing the glass between my legs after tossing two pills back and hoping they'd kick in sooner rather than later.   
"Got it all?" He asked, casually leaning against his sleek black dresser.   
"I dunno, I think so." I answered, wiping at the mouthwash tingling along my lips. "Jesus. It's not nearly as awesome coming out as it was going in."   
"Night like that, sure as shit wouldn't be."  
"How the hell are you not a mess though?"  
"Sure I've got plenty more practice at keepin' my shit in check than you do. That an' you kept orderin' shit that don't play well with others."  
"Ugh. Never. Again." I shook my head, embarrassed at myself and remembering I'd mixed and ordered everything from wine to tequila without a single thought of the consequences. I gave a small laugh at myself and stretched my legs to cross my ankles, leaning back on my elbows and watching Connor as he stretched in front of me. His naked body was beautiful and tempting in the morning light - his skin lightly tanned and smooth and speckled with random freckles that only made him even more irresistible. I hadn't even taken the time to really get a good look at the patches of ink on his skin before, from the Virgin Mary on his neck, to the Celtic cross on his arm or the impressively detailed crucified Jesus splayed across his shoulders visible when he stretched and twisted his back.  
"What does that say?" I asked plainly. He paused for a moment, surprised at the random and sudden change of the subject.  
"What?"   
"Your hand. What does it say?" I asked again, pointing at the slightly faded tattoo on his left index finger.   
"Oh. Veritas." Connor rubbed absently at his hand, smiling easily at me. I watched him and thought for a moment before finally speaking up.  
"Veritas... Like the goddess Veritas or the Latin word?"  
Connor reared his head back in slight disbelief and raised his eyebrows.   
"Didn't peg you as the type to know Latin."  
"Ha, I don't. But I DID take a few western civ and mythology courses in college. History was my plan B if nursing didn't pan out."  
"You got two degrees?"   
"No. I'm a few classes shy of a history degree. But I still spent my fair share of all nighters in the library for it."   
"Oh, so you were just a fuckin' nerd in school, then." Connor teased, a wicked smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.   
"Shut the fuck up." I laughed, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.   
"Never said it was a bad thing, love." He said smoothly, winking at me. "I happen to like that."   
Connor's smile widened and he pushed himself back up to stand. He sauntered toward me and leaned in close, kissing behind my ear and nibbling on my ear lobe.   
"I can't tell you how fuckin' hot it is to imagine you buried in a pile 'a books with some of those nice little black rimmed glasses and a big ole' sweatshirt." He said, his voice a near growl in my ear. I could feel him grow hard against me and nearly forgot how to breathe, my skin instantly reacting to his closeness.   
"You know, I may just still have those glasses." I purred, half joking, offering my neck to him and running my fingers through his messy hair with one hand and taking all of his impressive erection in the other. Ignoring the roaring headache that felt like it was splitting my skull in half, I leaned back onto the bed and let Connor straddle over my chest. He ran a hand along my hair and held the back of my head, his eyes never leaving mine as I welcomed all of him into my mouth.   
I moved along him slowly, my hand stroking along with my lips and stealing the breath from his lungs. I reached one hand behind him and gave his ass a warm squeeze before he took my hand and laced his fingers between mine and held it down over my head. With every new movement and twist of my tongue along him, I could feel him grow harder between my lips, his tip making delicious contact with the back of my throat. I gagged on him and he moaned at the gentle vibration before he tore my hand away, taking firm hold of my neck and fucking my mouth on his own. Tears stung at my eyes as he moved his hips into me, forcing multiple muffled gurgles to break the near silence of the room as I choked and gasped for air. I broke away from him to catch my breath and took him in my hand again, stroking along him easily and running my other hand up along his thigh and to his stomach.   
"Shit, you gotta at least let me fucking breath." I laughed, Connor moving himself between my legs and testing my soaking, ready folds with his throbbing tip.   
"Where's the fun in that, huh?" He returned, pressing his lips hard into mine and pushing two fingers inside my entrance. "Fuck, you really want me 'ta fuck you, don't you?"   
"Mmm, yes, please." I begged, biting at his lower lip and hoping he couldn't see me wincing through the headache still clawing at my temples. I pulled my legs toward my chest, offering all of my aching core to him and sucking in a sharp breath when he thrust hard into me.   
"Mm, that what you wanted?" He husked, burying himself deep inside of me.   
"Fuck yeah it is." I purred, massaging along this chest. "But go easy this morning. This headache is fucking killer."   
"Sure you're alright to even do this?" He asked, his expression hopeful but understanding. I ran my hands lightly along his ribs and up to his cheeks, bringing him closer to me, our noses and foreheads touching.   
"Of course I'm sure." I pressed my lips to his and he slowly started to move his hips. Connor's heavy arms laid along my sides as he leaned on his elbows, keeping himself close and allowing me to wrap my arms around his chest, running my fingers lightly across his skin.   
"Good." He breathed, kissing along my neck.   
Connor brought one of his hands to my chest and thumbed over my nipple, his lips still leaving hot, wet kisses along the curve of my neck before kissing me slowly. Our mouths rocked together as our skin began to glisten, Connor moving in smooth, delicious waves between my legs. I tightened myself around him, relishing in the blissful sounds escaping from deep in his throat.   
"Fuckin'. A. Brooke. Don't fuckin' stop. Fuck." Connor husked, leaning up and taking my leg in his hand. He thrust harder into me, his speed growing faster as I closed my eyes, the delicious swell of my orgasm sweeping up into my chest and flushing my skin bright red. He pressed his thumb into my clit and teased me, moving in tight circles and nearly taking my breath away before he suddenly stopped.   
"You hear that?"  
"Mmm, hear what?" I groaned, already missing the feel of him moving inside of me. I leaned up onto my elbows and looked up at him, his expression worried as he looked from one frosted window to the other along the long aged brick wall to our left.   
"I didn't hear anything." I added, running my fingers along our slick, heated connection. He pulled away from me slowly and I brought my legs together, sitting up to sit at the edge of the bed. Frustrated in more ways than one, I sat and watched Connor pull on an old pair of thin pajama bottoms, biting my lip at the sight of his still hungry erection moving beneath the fabric. He stood and pressed his ear against his bedroom door, his brow furrowing as he tried to listen.   
"Is everything o-"  
"What the fuck is goi-" Connor growled, pulling hard at the door and storming out of the room.   
I pulled myself from the warm, messy sheets of Connor's bed and looked frantically around the room in search of my clothes, finding nothing. I opened a couple of dresser drawers, pulled on a pair of his boxers and shrugged into a dark grey V-neck shirt, and jogged out of the door into the hallway, immediately regretting it as a series of loud booms echoed from down the hall.   
Despite the worsening headache and slight twinge of nausea starting to roll in my stomach again, I walked down the hallway and stopped just behind Connor, peaking around his broad shoulders as he leaned against the doorway laughing. A long dark wood table floated on it's side in the middle of the room, Murphy red-faced and biting down hard on his teeth along with a tall dark-haired gentleman giggling shamelessly struggling to keep their grip as they set it down with a loud, echoing thud. I winced and wrapped my arms around Connor's waist, resting my head against his arm while he laced his fingers with mine against the muscles of his stomach.   
"What's so funny?" I asked, running my other hand along his side and tucking my fingers into the waistband of his pants.  
"Fuckin' idiot racked himself in the nuts." Connor answered, moving his arm to wrap around my shoulders and bring me in close to hug him.   
"Least I didn't nearly rip my fuckin' dick off like somebody in the room." Murphy said, breathless and dusting off his hands. Katy appeared behind him, wrapping her hands around his waist and kissing behind his ear. The two let out a hearty laugh before she pulled away from him and ran her hand along the smooth dark wood of the table.   
"Shut yer fuckin' mouth." Connor said, mild irritation pulling at his words.   
"What the he-"  
"Dude fell from a rope and landed on a rail right on his nutsack." The new member of the group said, still quietly laughing as he leaned against the bar of the kitchen. He picked himself up to stand straight and sauntered toward me, offering his hand. "Morning, beautiful. Romeo."   
"Brooke." I said, blushing and shaking his hand.   
"Connor ever can't get the job done, gimme a call." He joked, winking at me and hitting Connor's arm.   
"Duly noted." I returned. Connor pinched at my hip and gave a fake laugh. I slid my hand beneath the soft fabric of his pants and traced my fingers in slow circles along his ass.   
"Jesus fucking Christ, Connor. Pull yourself together or go finish the goddamn job." Katy laughed, pointing at the bulge in Connor's crotch. I laughed and blushed, hiding my face behind his arm.   
"If you assholes hadn't chosen to do this shit at nine o'clock in the fuckin’ morning, maybe I would have." He said, this time faking his irritation.   
"Oh fuck off, Connor, you knew about the table." Katy said, waving him off and pouring a cup of coffee. Connor shook his head and made his way to sit on a barstool, slouching down and rubbing his hands on his face. "And as I recall, you were the one who ruined the other one."  
"Whatever." He said quietly, resigned. I walked up behind him and kissed his temple, rubbing my hands up and down the lean muscles of his arms. He turned to pull me between his legs, laying his chin on my shoulder and wrapping his hands along my hips. The stubble of his five o'clock shadow dug into my skin and I laced my fingers between his, smiling to myself at the warmth of his breath.   
"What happened to the other one?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.   
"Wasn't really my fault, per se." Connor said, his voice low and still tired. "Bunch a' the guys yer sister runs around with came through here and lit it up about a month or so ago. That's what those bullet holes over there are from. And why we got a new couch last week. Fuckin' assholes ruined a perfectly good couch." He continued, pointing to the random pattern of at least twenty bullet holes in the aged brick wall across the room.   
"There were good memories on that couch..." Katy chimed in, her voice playfully woeful as she reminisced.   
"Shit, love, we can make new ones." Murphy played along, comforting her in her loss and wrapping his arms around her from behind and nuzzling into her neck. Katy giggled and kissed him, the affection between them so genuine it actually started to hurt to watch.   
"Do they always do that?" I whispered, running my fingers tips along Connor's forearm.   
"It's disgusting, ain't it?" He joked.   
"A bit." I smiled, giving him a light pinch.   
“Also sent her to the hospital for a week.”   
“What? Really? Is that why you were gone for a while?”  
“Shot to the liver nicked somethin’ and she lost almost half her blood before we got her to the hospital. Lost her twice in surgery an’ even then she almost didn’t pull through.”  
“Oh my god…How are you even working right now?”   
“She refuses to listen.” Murphy interjected just as Katy opened her mouth to answer.   
“Guilty as charged. I really felt fine after I got out, so I just.. took a week or a little longer off and went back to work.”   
“Jesus. Can I… see it?”   
“Oh god…” Murphy mumbled, quietly amused as he watched Katy lift her shirt and step in front of me. The wound was nearly a perfect circle and still varying shades of red and purple. There were lingering signs of deep bruising under her skin with various patches of pale yellow and grey surrounding it and I went to reach to touch it before stopping myself and pulling my hands back.   
“No, it’s okay, go ahead. It doesn’t really hurt anymore. Just sore.”   
“Through and through?”  
“No. They had to dig around for fragments. One piece nicked the aorta. Luckily, it was small enough it was easy to fix and there wasn’t enough blood loss to actually kill me.”  
“Holy shit… there's what, an 85 percent mortality on that kinda thing? Wow. You’re super lucky.”  
“I know! When I woke up after everyth-“  
“Alright, you fuckin’ nerds, can we change the subject?” Murphy interrupted, clearly uncomfortable with listening to the ins and outs of the kind of blood loss that nearly killed the love of his life.  
“Right. And - if you all don't mind, I've got some fuckin' business to finish." Connor spoke up, pulling me into his lap and pinching me just under my ass. I flinched and stood straight up and Connor's hands fell into this lap again before he got up, turning us back down the hallway and starting back towards his room.  
"I think you mean FUCKING business." Katy shouted back at us just as we slipped back into his room.   
The door was barely shut before Connor's hands grabbed at my waist and turned me around. He pressed me hard against the wall, pinning my hands above my head and kissing me with a ferocity that I could barely keep up with. Deep groans escaped from deep in his stomach as his tongue pulsed and moved along with mine. Connor tore at the stolen clothes hanging from my shoulders and hips, taking in my nakedness and biting his lip.   
"Jesus Christ you're beautiful."  
My heart nearly melted right there in front of him, standing naked and feeling vulnerable - something I hadn't really felt with any other men before. My body ached for him in ways it never had with anyone before and that realization hit me hard at just that moment. Instead of rushing to him and pushing him onto the bed, I took his hand and pulled him to me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his cheek before running my fingers through his messy head of hair.   
Connor's fingertips grazed along the skin of my ribs, lighting something deep and carnal inside of me on fire. He wrapped his arms around the backs of my thighs and lifted me against the wall, the powerful pull of need forcing my eyes shut at the feel of his lips along my collarbone.   
“Mm, fuck me, Connor.” I breathed, feeling his throbbing tip press along my heated and ready entrance. “Please.”  
Without a moment's hesitation, Connor thrust his hips into mine and filled me to his hilt. He moved in fast and hard repetitions and I could barely keep up with him, my first steady tide of release sweeping over me.   
"Jesus, that was fuckin' fast, love." Connor breathed as I cried out into this shoulder, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, warm fluid coating both of us as he continued to fuck me hard into the wall.   
"God, you're so fucking good.." I struggled to say as he pulled us away from the wall and moved slowly to the messy sheets of his bed to lay me on my back. Connor took my hands in his and pushed even faster, each movement driving me further into a euphoric void that choked the air from my lungs and the words from my throat.   
"Oh, fuck, Connor, don't you ever fucking stop." I begged, spreading my knees apart and linking my ankles together behind him. Connor leaned in close and ran his tongue up the center of my chest and across my collarbone, his hips moving smoothly against mine. He breathed heavily into the curve of my neck before he pressed his lips into mine, kissing me hard and quickening his pace.   
“Jesus Christ, Broo- Fuck.” Connor said, his voice tight from between his clenched jaw as I tightened myself around him.  
"Come, Conn- fucking Christ, come for me Connor." I breathed, pulling Connor down and biting his bottom lip. Connor dropped his lips to my breast and wrapped them around one my nipples, sucking hard and teasing me before he stood up and pulled away from me. Grabbing hard at my hips, he flipped me onto my knees in front of him, quickly thrusting hard into my soaked core and running his hand along my spine. I reached for one of Connor's pillows and leaned down into it, arching my back and moved my hand between my legs, pressing my fingers into my clit as he moved behind me. Another deep wave of bliss swept over me, stealing my breath from my lungs as I moaned hard into the soft cotton of his pillow, Connor's hand taking mine and lacing his fingers between my own. He leaned down over me and kissed at my shoulder, nipping at my skin as he fucked harder, throwing me over the edge into a thoughtless, heavenly abyss. At his total mercy, I squeezed my eyes shut and let myself completely give into him, grabbing hard at his arm holding tightly to my waist.   
"Holy shi-" Connor husked, his voice tight and caught in his throat as he twitched and convulsed against me, quickly pulling himself from my soaking walls. He rolled me onto my stomach and leaned in close, kissing at my collarbone while I watched his milky release coat the skin inside of my thigh. Connor collapsed next me and I turned onto my side, running my fingers along his ribcage while he slowly caught his breath. Nestling myself into him, I kissed his cheek and smiled into his skin, wondering to myself how something like any of this could be happening.  
I had never considered myself the type of woman to fall so quickly for someone. Nearly my entire life, I'd been the girl who stood her ground as independent from anyone - too proud and too self reliant to let herself become caught up in the vulnerability of what men could offer. But here I was, lying naked next to a man I'd met two nights before and feeling as if I could lay there with him until eternity, and it still wouldn't be long enough.   
Whatever was going on between Connor and I wasn't something I could accurately put words to. There were no frills, and it seemed to be perfect that way. We weren't consumed in trying to impress one another or buy our way into the other's attention. At least for me, just being with him was enough.   
Connor moved his hand to pull me closer to him, his eyes stealing mine as he smiled and leaned in for a warm, delicious kiss.   
"I'm starvin'. You?" He said, he voice a deep and low whisper.   
"No. But I should probably eat something." I answered, a faint twinge of nausea pulling at my stomach. Connor brought himself to his feet and pulled me with him, handing me the boxers and shirt he'd torn off of me and tossed to the floor.  
"Any idea where my actual clothes are?" I asked, slipping into his clothes.   
"Probably still on the floor out there. My clothes ain't good enough?" He joked, reaching behind me and giving my ass a warm pinch. I laughed and turned toward his bedroom door, Connor following closely behind me as we exited the room, leaving the door ajar, neither of us realizing that we had been watched the entire morning.


End file.
